Winter's Raine
by Unajet
Summary: Arnim Zola worked within the SSR to help create the Winter Soldier Project. But what else might he have hidden away right under Shield's nose? Months after Project Insight with repairs still being done on the Triskelion, one such unknown entity gets set free. Not only is she a blast from Bucky Barnes' past but Raine will chance his life in a most surprising way.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello there, Reader!**_  
 _Thanks for taking a chance on my story and I hope it keeps your attention and doesn't disappoint. It's much shorter than both of my other stories but also a bit lighter up until the action takes over. The story is totally completed and I will try to post a chapter anywhere from every five to seven days, depending on my work schedule._  
 _Following it will be the best way to ensure you don't miss a chapter being posted._  
 _I would love to hear from you as to your impressions as the story moves forward so please give reviews!_

* * *

 **The Fall of Shield & Hydra  
April, 2014  
** _Deviations from the MCU storyline right after CA:WS_

After pulling Steve from the Potomac river, Bucky remains in D.C. trying to piece together the memories of his life. Not traveling very far, he hangs around Steve's neighborhood staying in the shadows, remembering his best friend enough to make sure he is safe.

With Nick Fury off to handle problems that don't see him coming, Maria Hill stays on as the public Director of Shield dealing with rebuilding the agency, professionally...and structurally.

* * *

 _ **Chapter One**_

 **Shield Triskelion  
October, 2014**

"It's all _your_ fault that we ended up on clean-up detail," Shield Agent Eric Johnson harshly poked a finger into the arm of the other man walking next to him. "If you had just stopped _before_ sing that dirty limerick to Director Hill, she probably _never_ would have ordered us down here."

"How was I supposed to know that she didn't have a sense of humor?" Agent Ryan Traxler asked as they continued down the debris littered concrete staircase to one of the sub-basement levels of the Triskelion.

" _How_ were you supposed _to know_? Are you _kidding_ me?" his friend asked incredulously throwing his hands up. "Have you _ever_ seen Maria Hill even _crack a smile_ the _entire_ time you have been here?"

"I just figured that _nobody_ has ever _tried_ to get her to smile," Traxler said as they reached the bottom level and stopped at the heavy metal door labeled Sub-B-3E. Pulling out his phone to check the secured email message from Hill as to where they were to head, he confirmed the location, "This is it."

"And why the _hell_ did you have to tell her that the damn limerick was _my idea_?" Johnson swiped the key card they had been assigned to use for access to the restricted area.

His friend looked over at him with a cheesy smile, "Misery loves company."

"I'll remember that the next time you need a bathroom break on a stakeout," Johnson responded as the door only partially opened.

They had expected it to fully swing open as all other doors would, but it seemed that something was blocking it from doing so. Resting their shoulders on the door, both of them put their body weights onto it and pushed, allowing a loud scraping sound to emanate as the door began to move further open. Stepping inside, they were able to see a large chunk of the concrete ceiling had been lying behind it.

"I thought that all of these levels had already been initially cleared," Traxler said as he flipped on the light switch next to the door.

"I thought that's _why_ we are on clean-up," Johnson responded looking down the plain wide concrete hallway.

There were chunks of more debris lining the hallway to another other door about twenty feet away from them. Along the left side wall seemed to be a maintenance elevator for moving large equipment. It had a physical lock securing the solid gates to the floor so that nobody could use it without coming to this hallway first. At the far end was a solid metal door with no handle and another security panel next to it.

Stepping forward, they used the master key card again at the panel. This time the door began to lift upwards revealing a normal looking wooden door behind it. Turning the plain knob, they were met with a dark room.

Reaching inside the wall without entering, Traxler's hand found the light switch. Turning it on, they both stood there trying to figure out what they were seeing.

The room before them looked like it should be in 1980's suburbia, not over a hundred feet underneath of a damaged government security agency building. Stepping inside, they began to inspect the items around the strange looking apartment area.

Throughout the entire large room was an old style parquet wood flooring. The hideous mauve couch and county-blue plaid chairs in the den area were laughable considering their fabric, and the kitchen table was black laminate with red leather seat cushions. The cabinets were a ugly white melamine with natural wood trim, also very dated. The wall oven was black with a flip-number clock, the countertop microwave was a very old model, and even the beige top-bottom refrigerator had faux wood trim.

"What the hell is all of this?" Traxler asked running his hands over the surface of the counter and finding it with a heavy layer of dust. "It reminds me of my great-aunt's house from when I was very young."

"I have no idea," Johnson said walking over to look into an adjoining room. "Here's a bedroom. And I was half expecting a waterbed. Maybe it was some kind of safe-room from back in the day that everyone forgot about."

"Maybe," Traxler responded doing a full circle to take everything in.

He then began walking towards the only item that actually stood out in the strange location, another solid metal door. This one, located in what would be considered a den area, was protruding from the wall slightly and had a domed shape to it. Hanging next to the old style touch key pad by a piece of tape was a ripped off scrap of paper with a numerical code written on it.

"Secured storage room?" Johnson asked coming over to see what he found.

"Can't be that important since the code's just hanging there. So, maybe. Let's see," Traxler then began to punch in the written number.

A second later the light on the pad turned from red to green, but it was a loud klaxon buzzing that startled them both. Taking large steps back, they glared at the door before them, waiting to see what happened. But it didn't open right away as they had expected. Instead, a series of lights running down the side of the door which had been hidden under some dust began to light up, a new one turning green every few seconds.

"I'm _really_ not liking this," Johnson worriedly stated continuing to back up around the couch.

"I'm right there with you," Traxler said as he reached the door to the hallway they entered by.

That was when the vaulted door popped open only a small amount and a thick white cloud of something bellowed out.

"Gas!" Johnson frighteningly exclaimed and turned to make a run for the door, staying fast on Traxler's heels as they bound up the staircase to inform someone of what they had discovered.

* * *

She was tired. But then, she was always tired when they woke her up.

Standing in her cryo-freeze chamber, Lorraine could feel the straps running across her body to keep her in place until the technicians would help her out. Taking as deep of a breath as she could, she noticed the air smelled a bit staler this time. Her arms also felt a bit stiffer than they normally would, but as she wiggled her fingers they slowly started to feel better. With some effort, she managed to get her toes to respond.

There was a silence that now took over the area as the cryo-freeze chamber powered down, leaving the room outside quiet. Usually there was a lot of chatting, but not this time. Then Raine comprehended that too long had passed by of her standing there with nobody coming to help her out. Why not?

"Hello?" her weak voice barely echoed in the quiet space with no response from anyone.

Definitely not good.

Reaching up, Raine began to unbuckle the straps around her shoulders and torso before carefully moving to get the one over her thighs. She knew from experience that it would take a few minutes for her balance to come back to her. Now that she was free, she stretched her arms out and pushed the door open all the way, looking into an empty living room. Where was…anyone?

Her new apartment was a large rectangle with her cryo chamber mounted in the den and a kitchen off to the side. From what she could see, the appliances looked have been updated and more modern. The furniture had a new style colored patterns on them. How long had they kept her under this time?

Trying to take a step out of the chamber, Raine fell to her knees as her legs faltered under her. Luckily she managed to catch her upper body before hitting her head on the strange wood floor, landing on the side of her hip. Looking around she saw that the room was empty of technicians and the outer door was wide open. She was alone?

That was not a good sign. There was nobody in her apartment to help her this time. That didn't make sense. Who had opened her cryo chamber?

Something had happened, something _bad_ she would guess.

That meant that she was now on her own.

Standing upright on shaky legs, Raine examined the room, assessing it carefully. There was a layer of dust over everything she could see and out in the hallway were chunks of the concrete ceiling that had fallen. Damage to the building like that could only mean one thing...

Hydra had been compromised.

That meant that she need to obey her conditioning commands for a situation like this.

Stumbling as quickly as she could into what she hoped was the bedroom, Raine opened the closet, finding the quick-run bag that was prepared for an emergency like this hanging on a hook on the door. Checking inside the smaller pocket, she found five hundred dollars of newly printed bills dated 1979, plenty to live off of for a few months.

The spare set of clothes looked a bit strange though. It seemed to be a single item of bright green polyester that was comprised of a top connected to pants with a long zipper down the front. Someone felt that pants for a female was appropriate? Who did they think she was, Katharine Hepburn? It would have to do until she could find appropriate skirts or dresses.

At the very bottom was a loaded revolver with one box of spare ammunition in case she needed it.

Heading back out into the den, she took a final look at the updated furniture and wished that she knew what the strange large rectangle box sitting on the kitchen countertop was for. It must be a new piece of technology that she would have been trained on.

Raine knew that she couldn't worry about that now. She needed to follow procedure.

Leave the compromised premises.

Get to her fallback safe house.

Contact her Hydra handler.

Find the Winter Solider.

Taking a moment, Raine recalled the instruction she had been given on the soon-to-be-built Triskelion where she would be moved and housed during her time asleep. Hopefully that information had not changed and that was actually where she was. She had memorized the route to take from the blueprints and hoped that over years that the escape passage had not been altered or compromised.

If it had been, she might get captured by the enemy…Shield. Raine knew that she just had to take the chance and get out of here before they killed her.

Heading out into the hallway, she glanced up the staircase and found it empty. But there was no telling how long it would stay that way. With each level Raine ascended she worried that an enemy would appear, but she was able to make it up the three flights to the sub-basement level door that led to her escape route in case of an emergency like this. About to punch in her personal access code, the sound of a door opening harshly from above echoed in the stairwell. Quickly pressing in the code, she sighed a breath of relief when the door opened to allow her access.

Closing the solid metal door hastily behind her, Raine had barely heard it click locked before shouting from the other side caught her attention. The enemy was loudly stomping down the stairs and she feared they had seen the door close and were about to burst through it and capture her.

But the sounds continued down towards her home. They were too late...she was gone from there.

Running through the hallway, near the far end she found the correct door and punched in her code again, smiling as it also clicked open. Stepping inside, she turned on the overhead light to find the storage room just as it should be.

Moving to the metal bookcase, Raine bent over and hit the secret button located under the bottom shelf on the far right. The snapping sound indicated that the entrance to the secret passageway was now unlocked. Pulling up on the shelf, the bookcase began to swing towards her revealing the metal ladder rungs heading upwards towards safety and freedom.

Gliding inside the small vertical tunnel, she pulled the bookcase closed behind her concealing her path from anyone trying to follow her. Hearing it clicked locked behind her, Raine felt a bit safer in the cramped area. Surrounded by total darkness, Raine glimpsed a faint red emergency light high above her near the exit. Slinging the bag over her shoulders, she began the task of climbing from the sub-basement through the basement levels towards the ground level.

Her limbs were still very sore from being in cryo, but she need to get out of here before Shield captured or killed her. By the time she reached the lid at the top, her body was burning from the exertion of the climb.

Pushing open the lid just a sliver, Raine listened for any sounds to indicate someone was nearby. There was only the hum of mechanical equipment.

Lifting her head to see into the maintenance area, it was indeed empty. Exiting the tunnel, she closed the lid so that it blended back in to look like just another section of concrete floor. It was no way for the passage to be accessed from this side so she was now trapped going forward. Since she had not heard the sound of gunfire maybe that meant that the initial attack on Hydra was already over.

But she had no idea who had won or was in charge here now. Raine knew she couldn't take the chance to find out, it could mean her life. Her conditioning told her to follow procedure. She needed to keep herself safe then make contact with her handler. If Hydra had not managed to somehow maintain control of the facility, then she was in a lot of trouble if she was discovered.

Seeing a set of lockers along one wall, she quickly opened a few unlocked ones searching for anything useful. Spotting a man's winter coat, she tossed it over her arm figuring that if it was here then somebody needed it. There could be a blizzard outside that she was about to be heading into for all she knew. Nothing else in here seemed to be useful.

Taking a breath as she stood at the door, Raine slowly opened it while making sure gunfire was still not heard. Instead, calmly talking voices greeted her. That meant that whatever disaster had triggered her to be woken up might be over by now. Stepping into the hallway, she steadily began to stride towards the emergency door she'd been instructed to use for evacuation.

Reaching it, she finally chanced to look around at the wandering people who didn't seem to notice her. Raine bristled at seeing so many women wearing pants as if they were men. Did they no longer arrested women for masquerading as men for wearing them? Looking down at her simple white blouse and long thin black skirt with black stretch vinyl boots, Raine wondered if so many women were wearing pants then maybe her outfit was too outdated and would draw unnecessary attention to herself.

It was too late to do anything about that now.

Punching in her code a final time, the emergency exit door quietly swung open by itself revealing daylight. Stepping outside into the fresh air, she allowed the door to close behind her. The air was cool but not freezing, so the jacket was not a necessity, only a luxury.

Looking out at the clear blue sky over the river, Raine began to walk away from her home since she was moved there sometime after 1974.

* * *

"What the hell do you mean a _cryo-freeze chamber_?" Maria Hill loudly asked the technicians brought into the strange room to figure out what it had been used for.

"That's what it is, Ma'am," he simply told her. "It's been embedded into the wall and from what we can tell, it's linked to the city's emergency electrical system so that it could never be deactivated."

"Was there anyone in there?" she asked looking around the very outdated room.

"Hard to say, but it looks like it has been active for forty years," he told her. "I don't think that they would have left it active if it had been empty."

"Then _where_ is the person who was inside?" she then yelled for everyone nearby to hear hoping for a response.

Seeing a lot of sets of eyes trying to avoid hers, Maria knew that none of them had an answer for her.

"Fine," she told the group while heading for the door, "All of you stay here, figure out what this place is for, and then report your findings to me. I'm going to security to see what they can find on the cameras."

Stomping up the staircase, with every step Maria could feel her blood pressure growing a bit. She had assigned Traxler and Johnson to finish clearing out Sub-B-3D and they had mistakenly gone down to 3E. Traxler claimed they went to the level from her email, but Maria was sure she had given them the correct level. Opening the email on his secure phone, Traxler showed her that the email he received did actually say 3E unfortunately. How did she even make that mistake? According to Shield files, this level did not even exist.

By the time she reached the internal security office, she felt like heading to the gun range to let off some steam. That might have to be her next stop if she didn't get some type of answer soon. Entering the room, she got everyone's attention with her request.

"I want every second of footage from today from the cameras located in stairwell F on your screen in ten seconds. Someone of unknown origin was in that stairwell and I want to know _what_ they looked like, where they _went_ , and where they are _now_."

The entire room was filled with the sounds of fingers clicking over numerous keyboards as they worked to do her bidding.

"Here, I have the footage!" a female tech pointed at her screen.

Standing next to her, Maria watched her rewind the footage for a few seconds before allowing it to play forward. They watched as a petite young-looking woman in civilian clothes exited the doorway carrying a bag and began to head up the stairs. Her dark blond hair was puffy and straight until it reached her shoulders where it curled upwards at the ends. Her bangs were long, and overall her hairstyle looked like something from the television show _Mad Men_.

"Who is that?" Maria asked as the tech did a freeze-frame of her face. She watched as their program began facial recognition but Maria knew that it was pointless. Given the room and how she looked, there was no way the unknown female was in their system. "Where did she go?"

The tech typed away for a few moments, following the female as she accessed a secured door into another hallway, before she entered a storage room.

"There's no exit from that room," the tech stated as she let the footage roll forward until it reached the present. There was no sign of her leaving.

"Keep an eye on that door!" Maria started moving to head in that direction. "Call me if there is _any_ change before my strike team gets there!"

Minutes later, she was in the hallway with five other agents ready to breach it. But after getting the door open, they were shocked to find the small storage room empty.

"Where is she?" Maria called out to the tech over her earcom.

" _ **Nobody** has left that room. She **has** to be in there_," came the reply over the intercom system for all of them to hear.

For the next few minutes, she had the agents searching for any sign the female had been in here before one of them called her over to a metal bookcase. Pointing out the scratch marks on the floor, they realized that it had moved over it recently. Finding a crowbar in the clean-up crews tools at a nearby work area, they managed to pry the bookcase away from the wall, revealing a set of ladder rungs heading up. The tech said that blueprints didn't even show that passage so there was no telling where it exited to.

With her own curiosity at maximum, following it upwards into the dark Maria came to a maintenance room before exiting into a secondary hallway. Calling out her location to the tech using her earcom, Maria had her begin to pull up the footage from that area earlier today. Being fed directions as to the path the woman took, Maria ended up at an emergency exit door.

"Why didn't this door sound?" she asked the tech.

" _The female typed in an override code_ ," she was told. After a few moments of keyboard clicking in her ear, " _It's the same code she used at the stairwell's door. It's been planted into our entire system to act as a master override code. Every door would open for her and not a single alarm would sound_."

Maria punched in her own code and stepped outside into the autumn air. She was on the outside of the Triskelion where the female had been able to just walk away. There was a single overbearing thought that worried her…that this female was somehow a secret Hydra project created for who-knows-what type of devastation. The main reasoning behind that was the fact that she was important enough to have her own cryo chamber and a place to live while awake.

But now, she was free and walking the streets of Washington.

Just how dangerous was she?

* * *

Lorraine only made it a few blocks before she had to stop for a bit due to her rising nerves. The cars and other vehicles that were passing her by looked nothing like what they should have if only a few years or so had passed. Not a single one of them had a familiar style. She was beginning to think that she'd been sleeping in her chamber for much long than was originally intended.

People were walking hurriedly past her and most of them were looking down into small flat devices in her hands instead of looking where they were going. There were a few holding it up to their ears and talking into them, reminding her of a telephone. But that couldn't be. There were no cords as well as being way too small.

Sitting for a few minutes on the raised stone that created the beautiful flowerbed behind her, Raine tried to calm herself by concentrating on the colorful blossoms before she became hysterical. She was almost sure that something _horrible_ had gone wrong. She was supposed to be taken out of cryo anywhere between five to ten years so that she could be trained on updated technology. There was no way that this level of advancement could have happened in such a short amount of time.

Raine need to know for certain and there was only one way for her to do that immediately.

Standing up and grabbing her belongings, she saw an older gentleman approaching while looking at the thing in his palm.

"Excuse me, Sir," Raine stepped in front of him and put on her best smile, "but I can't remember the date. Could you possibly tell me?"

The man who looked a little like her grandfather smiled, "Wednesday, October fifteenth."

That only helped a little, "And the year?"

 _That_ got Raine the look she had been hoping to avoid.

"2014."

Keeping a straight face, "Thank you," she politely responded before walking past him in the direction he had come from hoping to avoid any more conversation.

Lorraine managed to go about a block before needing to turn down an alleyway. Reaching a secluded area behind the concrete steps leading up to the back of a business, she fell sideways against the hard wall as her body crumbled from mild shock.

Falling to her knees huddled against the cold brick for comfort, Raine began to cry.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : So, Maria Hill making a mistake in an email as to a location's information? Does that seem a bit off to you? Maybe it should...enter, plot bunny #1.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Two**_

Steve calmly listened over the phone to the series of today's events leading to the unknown female's release from a hidden cryo-freeze chamber inside of the Triskelion, before making her escape. Knowing that this could mean a lot of trouble, he asked Maria, "Where is she now?"

" _We have no idea_ ," Maria informed him. He could hear the worry in her voice. " _We managed to track her using street cameras for a couple of blocks but she turned down an alleyway that had too many blind exit points and she managed to give us the slip. I have a couple of agents already heading into the area now to see if they can find her_."

"Give me the address where she was last spotted around and send a good picture of her to my cell phone," he requested of Maria grabbing up his shield from beside the door in his apartment. He had been hoping for a quiet day but Steve knew those were rare. "I'll go take a look around the area too and see if I can spot her."

" _Steve, we don't know anything about this female. For all we know, if she **is** a Hydra project, she could be just as **dangerous** as the Winter Soldier_."

"I'll be fine," he told Maria locking up his place and hurriedly heading down the stairs. "I'll call you if I find her."

Hanging up his phone, Steve gave a heavy sigh knowing that Maria might be right. From what they knew, Hydra were the only ones to use the cryo technology...and they didn't use it on nobodies. He might be in for a fight if he found her.

Steve had been recovered from his fight with Bucky for a few months now thanks to his healing factor, but it was the wounds that couldn't be seen that hurt the most. He wanted to be there to help Bucky, but he wasn't able to. His best friend was out in the world alone, actively hiding from him and Sam. He had not told Maria or Nick but he knew that Bucky was still in the immediate area of Washington…specifically his own neighborhood.

It had started almost immediately after being released from the hospital. At first Steve thought he was just being forgetful when small items of food from his fridge were simply not there anymore, like the leftovers from the night before. And he was positive that he was not going through a gallon of milk all by himself so quickly either. But the real test had been when Sam had thrown a small birthday party for him back in July.

That night Steve had placed a large piece of the chocolate cake wrapped up on a paper plate with a disposable fork on the small wooden crate outside of his rear door on the fire escape. The next morning it had been gone but a simple note of 'happy birthday' in Bucky's familiar cursive penmanship had been left in its place. Steve had hoped that he would have come out of hiding by now, but he didn't have that kind of luck.

If Bucky just needed time to figure out what kind of help he wanted, Steve would give it to him...including buying extra milk. He just wished that he knew _for sure_ that Bucky was no longer under the influence of Hydra. But if he was, wouldn't he have gone back to them and disappeared?

Even so that did not necessarily mean that he wasn't in any danger from them. Small groups of Hydra agents were causing problems anywhere that they could. Hopefully they weren't stupid enough to try and capture the Winter Soldier on their own.

As he reached his motorcycle, Steve secured his shield into the round leather side compartment specially made for it. Sitting down, his cellphone beeped to indicate a text message. Opening up the attached picture, he got his first good look at the unknown female.

Whoever this strange possible Hydra agent was, she was lovely.

* * *

Lorraine was devastated as she sat on the steps of the primary schoolhouse staring across the street at what should have been her Hydra safe house. Only now, it was a business called Starbucks. She had no idea why there would need to be such a place concerning space money with a picture of an alien female princess with two fish tails in this strange time period. It was just another thing that she would have been taught.

At least school was over for the day so there was nobody to disturb her as she tried to figure out what to do now. Once she had gathered her wits about her back in the alley, it had taken hours for her to walk here and it was late in the day. There was nowhere else that she knew of in the city where she could go to be safe.

Her conditioning told Raine to only call her handler from a safe location, but what if it was no longer there? Knowing she needed to do something, Raine had already searched the immediate area for a payphone to use to call for her handler, but for some reason there were none around that she could find. There used to be one on almost every street corner, but she'd traveled across the city without spotting a single one.

Hearing the door to the school open behind her, Raine turned to find an older woman exiting the building. Spotting her sitting there, she gave Raine a friendly smile.

"Can I help you with something, dear?" the lady offered.

Standing up, she decided that she needed to be brave and take a chance.

"I hope so. Would you by chance know of where there is a payphone nearby?"

"My dear, you're going to have a very hard time finding one nowadays," she told her a bit amused, making a sinking feeling appear in her stomach at hearing that. "Do you need to call someone?"

"Yes, very much," she honestly admitted.

"Well, I can let you use the one in our office," she offered, opening the door back up. "Come on inside. It's also a bit warmer in here."

"Oh, thank you, ma'am," Raine told her suddenly feeling much better.

Stepping inside, she removed the coat and held it under her arm with the bag. Following the woman into the school's office, she turned the phone on the main desk around, pressed a button and offered it to her. Hearing the familiar sound of a dial tone, Raine dialed the seven digit phone number she had last been given to memorize, but the phone started blaring a sound at her.

"What's wrong?" the woman asked as she stared at the receiver in her hand wondering why it was making the noise.

"It's not working," she told her. "I dialed, but it's beeping for some reason."

"Here, give me the number and let me try. I thought I had gotten you an outside line," she offered.

Reciting the number to her, Raine noticed the strange look she was getting in return.

"What is the area code for the number, dear?"

"Area code? Oh, it's a local call," she told her to which the woman only nodded. Lorraine watched as she entered in the number but with a few extra digits before it before handing the receiver to her. She smiled at hearing it ring this time.

A male voice on the other end of the line answered, " _Mike's Pizza Palace._ "

That was _not_ what she remembered her handler's voice sounding like. Any _why_ would he answer using a business name? This call was her only hope for safety, so even with the woman listening to her, Raine needed to complete it.

"Now is the future, and it is ours for the taking," Lorraine gave her part of the cipher in hopes that the person on the other end was just an incompetent underling or maybe Hydra was hiding their existence.

" _What, lady_?" the man asked her. Repeating her part of the cipher again, he responded, " _Look, why don't you get off of the PCP before calling here again. You're wasting my time."_

The line then went dead as he hung the phone up on her.

Lorraine could hear the woman behind her calling out to her as she ran from the office and back out of the front doors of the school. Staring at where the safe house should have been Raine felt her eyes start to burn with more tears. Not knowing what else to do, she hastily ran down the steps, rounded the brick wall of the school and headed away from the street.

She had no idea what to do now. She was once again lost and alone just like when she was five.

But this time there was no one to help her.

* * *

Searching with no luck for the past few hours, Steve was thinking this lady had definitely managed to give him and Shield the slip. Maria had called him only once with a possible sighting almost a mile from where she had been last spotted. But he'd circled this quiet neighborhood without any other clues as to her location. Was she watching from inside of one of the row houses, laughing at their attempt to track her?

Ready to start heading home, down the street ahead of him Steve saw the doors to the school in front of him burst open and the female target he had been looking for come barreling out. Pausing for only a moment to stare at the coffee shop across the street, she ran down the steps before rounding the building's far corner out of sight. An older woman then appeared at the school doors calling out for her.

Pulling his motorcycle to a stop in front of the school, Steve needed to get information before tracking her down. What had spooked her into revealing her location? Removing his shield from the compartment and putting it on his back, he headed up a few steps, getting the older woman's attention.

"Ma'am, that lady that just left here, what did she want?"

"She was trying to call someone, but she got very upset. I heard over the earpiece that she had called a pizza parlor but I don't think that was who she was expecting to answer."

Steve thanked the woman before heading off in the direction the lady had gone. The long side of the school had a small grassy area next to it leading to the rear open fields. Not seeing her, he continued forward to where the wall ended at the back of the building. Cautiously peeking around the corner prepared for a possible attack, Steve was certainly not expecting what he found.

The lady was sitting on the wood-chip ground with her back against the plastic slide on the playground as she cried. Her bag was next to her with a man's jacket lying beside it. There was no mistaking how distraught she was right now. Steve could hear her weeping from here. The scene before him was not what he had been expecting when he finally found her. But she was an unknown so he still needed to be careful.

Pulling his shield from his back since he was not sure what she was capable of, he began to slowly and cautiously move toward her. It wasn't until he was about fifteen feet away before she even noticed him there. When she turned to see who was approaching, Steve could see the tears running down her red face.

But then something changed in her expression. Her eyes locked onto his shield and they grew wide and very frightened.

"Ma'am…" was as far as he got before she screamed, dug into the bag to draw out a revolver and turned it on him. Raising his shield, he counted four shots go off…and not a single one hit his shield. From behind him, there was the sound of four strikes on the brick wall of the school. Hearing movement, he lifted his head to peek over the shield to see the frightened female scrambling to her feet as she tried to run away from him.

"Ma'am, I'm not here to hurt you," he called out to her as she got only a few feet away from where she had been before stopping mid-stride and turning to look at where she had been sitting after realizing that she had not grabbed her bag or coat.

"Get back!" she instructed him with a frightened voice while shakily pointing the gun at him. "Leave me alone!"

"I can't do that," he told her and Steve could see that she was on the edge of a major breakdown. "I don't want to hurt you but you _need_ to put the gun on the ground."

"I'm _not_ going to let you kill me too!" she yelled at him as the tears started to pour from her swollen eyes.

"I'm _not_ here to kill you. I'm here to _help_ you," he told her, which brought another change to her expression, one of maybe hopefulness.

"Now is the future, and it is ours for the taking," she spoke and then seemed to be waiting for an answer.

But all he could do was shake his head.

"I'm sorry but I don't know what that means," he told her.

"You _lied_!" she screamed at him. "If you were really here to help me, you would know the cipher!"

There was something about her that told him she was lost in a very strange way. Steve needed for her to see that he was a possible friend. He decided to use what he already knew about her.

"Earlier today you woke up in a cryo-freeze chamber," he decided to try a different approach. "Inside of an area decorated like an apartment."

Steve watched as her hand holding the gun dropped slightly to face the ground instead of him. It seemed to be working.

"How do you know that?" her voice sounded a bit hopeful.

"Because I work for Shield," which suddenly brought on another scream as she then raised the gun towards him again. Lifting his shield, Steve heard one of the two final shots actually hit the shield this time before a loud thump then did. Feeling something land close to his feet, Steve saw that she had thrown the gun at him.

With a raised eyebrow at the pointless move, he dropped his shield to be able to see over it. The female was now starting to run across the large grassy play area trying to escape without having gone back for her items. Shaking his head at her strange actions, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and called Maria.

" _Did you find her_?" she asked.

"Yes, but I'm not sure what to make of her but I can tell you she's not a combatant," he said as he reached down to retrieve the gun, coat, and bag before quickly following her. "She's not a danger to anyone, except for maybe herself. I'll explain later once I know more but I need you to call off any cops that are being send to investigate gunshots at my location."

" _Will do, but get her contained_ , _Steve_."

Putting the phone up, he put on a bit more speed and caught up with her before she had even reached the other side of the large field. She had not been moving very fast considering the skirt she was trying to run in. Grabbing a hold of her upper arm, she squealed in surprise and tripped at the unexpected contact, landing on the grass with a skid. Steve winced as he hadn't meant to scare her like that.

"I'm sorry about that but _please_ listen, I'm _not_ going to hurt you," standing back from her a few feet he held up his hands to try and seem less threatening.

"Don't lie to me! Just kill me and get it over with!" she told him rolling onto her back to gaze at him with fear and trying to scoot away.

"Stop!" he finally instructed her with a yell, which seemed to work. The pure terror in her eyes hurt him inside. He hated having this effect on her and not understanding why. " _Why_ do you think I would kill you?"

"That's what you did to Herr Schmidt, so why wouldn't you kill me too? That's what Captain America does to Hydra. You kill them!"

Steve knew his eyes were wide at hearing that. She had called Red Skull by his name? Nobody he knew of did that.

"You _are_ Hydra?" he skeptically asked trying to figure this out since she was nothing like the other Hydra agents he had gone up against.

"You're chasing me down to kill me so don't act like you don't know who I am!"

Crouching down a few feet away from her, the female sat up slightly from the ground. She looked much too frightened to be a trained Hydra agent, her shooting skill were massively sub-par, but she was certain he wanted to kill her for not doing anything wrong...from what he could tell.

What exactly had Hydra done now?

"Ma'am, I don't understand what is going on right now, and I'm going to guess that for the most part that you don't either. But I promise you, even if you are Hydra, that I am _not_ going to kill you."

"Then just let me go," she pleaded with him.

"And where would you go?" he asked. Steve could tell by her face pinching up as she looked to be about to cry again that she didn't have an answer to that. "How about we talk for a bit and we _both_ try to figure out what is going on?"

The female looked around at the empty field, as if expecting others to be there. Maybe she was looking for his backup, which there was none of. He hadn't requested any and unless he asked for it, Maria wouldn't send any either.

"It's just the two of us. Nobody else is here or should be coming," he crouched down a few feet away from her so that he was not towering over her, hoping that helped with calming her down a bit.

Finally she gave a nod of her head.

Putting her bag and gun a bit behind him, Steve placed his shield on his back as he sat down on the grass and the female sat upright with her legs to her side. He passed her over the jacket since they were in the shade of a large nearby apartment building and with the fall breeze it was cooler than in the sunlight. She wrapped it around her shoulders, holding tightly to it.

"Since you recognized me as Captain America, I'm guessing that's because of the shield," he smile at her and she nodded again. "But I'd like for you to call me Steve. Can I know your name?"

Seeming still hesitant to answer, a long couple of moments passed before she replied in a low voice, "Lorraine Zola."

Steve felt every muscle in his body tighten up at hearing that hated name again.

"Zola? As in Arnim Zola?"

She nodded while informing him, "He's my uncle."

* * *

 **Author's Note** : Lorraine heard of Captain America when she was little but Shield was formed from the SSR later so she wouldn't associate him with them. That's why she got scared twice, at seeing his shield and hearing Shield's name. I hope that you like the small twist with who Raine is! The next few chapters will be very informative and set up the overall story.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Three**_

Following Steve when he had left his apartment in such a hurry, Bucky had figured that he had been called about a mission. He had raided his fall-back Hydra safe house after pulling Steve from the river, supplying himself with cash and a couple of useful devices, one of which he pulled from his pocket now.

Looking at the receiver for the tracking device that he had placed on Steve' motorcycle, he watched as Steve instead began a search pattern in a residential neighborhood instead of going to the Triskelion.

Something different was happening this time.

Heading to the same area to keep an eye on the punk, Bucky centered himself inside of Steve's pattern trying to figure out what he was looking for...or whom. Finding a high vantage point, he watched as Steve became interested in a dame running from a schoolhouse. He was able to see Steve questioning the older woman on the steps near the doors before heading off after the crying dame who he could see sitting in the playground area.

Bucky's curiousness increased as he scrutinized the initial exchange between Steve and the crying female target from the roof of the building through the scope of his rifle. But when she had pulled a gun and shot at Steve, he decided to stop her actions right then.

Putting her arm into his sights, Bucky knew that it would slow her down enough for Steve to be able to deal with her. But as he tried to physically pull the trigger, Bucky found that he couldn't.

It wasn't that he didn't want to but for some reason his body was not responding to his mind's command. Swapping the gun to his left arm, he took aim again as she screamed again before fired twice more, finding that something was again preventing him from shooting her.

Why couldn't he do it? He sure wanted to since she was trying to kill his best friend.

Almost tossing the rifle down onto the roof next to him, he could only watch as Steve grabbed up her left-behind belongings before he chased after her across the large field in his direction, easily catching up to her. Seeing her fall to the ground with a skid, Bucky actually felt a bit sorry for her for some reason. Maybe it was just the fact that he hated seeing such a pretty dame get hurt.

After yelling at her to stop loud enough for Bucky to hear, Steve finally managed to get her to calm down. Bucky quietly observed as the two of them eventually sat on the grass below the building he was on and began to talk.

How he wished he knew what was going on.

* * *

"You uncle?" the man known as Captain America asked back at her.

Raine had been taught that he had died along with the Red Skull when she was young, but yet here he was sitting before her. Did that mean that Herr Schmidt had not died as her uncle had told her? Was Hydra still out in the world waiting for her to find them so they could keep her safe? Lorraine knew that she was going to have to get some answers from Steve if she was going to find out what had happened to compromise her.

"Yes," she hesitantly answered.

"Is he the one that trapped you in the cryo-freeze chamber?"

What did he mean? Raine began to shake her head at the question.

"Uncle Arnim didn't trap me in there, that's where I was supposed to be," she told him, getting a look of curiosity from him.

"Why were you in there then?"

This is where she was not going to be able to be fully truthful with him. It would compromise too much.

"I can't tell you that."

Steve seemed to consider her answer, but instead of prodding further, he only nodded his head a bit.

"It looks like you were in there for a very long time. Can you tell me what year it was when you went inside?"

She didn't see any reason to lie about this since the cryo chamber's records were there. Raine was sure that if Captain America was hunting for her that Shield had already gone through her apartment thoroughly. Maybe as long as she didn't lie to him he wouldn't kill her.

"1974."

"Do you understand how long you have been asleep for?"

Lorraine nodded her head as the tears started to swell up again as she thought about how lost she now was. Unfortunately, she knew _exactly_ how long it had been. Much too long for her to deal with this new world, especially alone and captured by Shield.

"Don't be afraid, we'll figure out what is going on," he told her as she felt his hand gently touch hers. It had been so long since she'd felt any human contact that she didn't pull away even though he still scared her. But he hadn't killed her yet, which was more than Raine had believed. "Can you explain what that phrase you called a cipher was for?"

"It's what I'm supposed to tell my handler so that he…" Raine realized that she needed to stop there. She couldn't tell Captain America what should have happened to her. That would compromise her project. That was too much for the enemy to know.

"And your handler would know the next part so you would know it was him and then he could help you?"

Nodding her head, she wondered what was going to happen to her now that she couldn't find him. What had gone wrong? Had Shield managed to kill everyone who could help her?

"Do you have a specific mission that you were to go on?"

Steve was worried about what she might try to accomplish. But she was one of the good guys. Maybe he wouldn't kill her if he knew how hopeless she was.

"I don't _go on_ missions," she decided it was safe to tell him that much.

"Then why did Hydra have you in cryo-freeze?"

Turning her head to the side, not able to look him in the eye, "I can't tell you."

"Are you dangerous?" Steve had a bit of humor in his voice but he did pull his hand from off of hers.

"Dangerous?" she now looked at him worried what he might do to her if he thought she was.

"Well, considering the firearm skills that you just displayed for me, I'm thinking that you are not a _fully trained_ Hydra agent."

"They never train me with weapons and I never wanted to be. I don't need them. That was in my bag in case someone came after me before I could find…" her eyes got wide and she shut her mouth as she realized what she had been about to reveal to the enemy.

"So you are looking for someone or something? Besides your handler?"

Lorraine's mind began to race as she considered that she may now never find the Winter Solider. No matter what, Raine would do anything to keep him safe. If he had been in cryo-freeze when Hydra had been attacked just as she had, then he may still be locked away. She'd never been told how to get to his base in Siberia or how to free him even if she did. Had her uncle put in the same override code into his system to free him? Why had she agreed to come to the states with Uncle Arnim?

Why couldn't she have stayed frozen near Bucky Bear?

Had Shield managed to kill all of Hydra, leaving only the two of them? Would they torture her for information that she didn't have? Would they try to use her to get to Bucky Bear even though she didn't know how to find him? Picturing him peacefully sleeping away without ever being woken up again, Raine hoped that at least he was safe even if she wasn't.

"Lorraine? Lorraine?" she heard her named called a couple of times before it dawned on her that it was Steve trying to get her attention. "Are you alright?"

This was too much. Her entire body was starting to shudder with fear. Raine began to shake her head as the tears started to fall again, barely managing to answer, "No."

Too much time had passed. Everything had gone wrong. There was no way she could handle this new world without training, something she was no longer going to get. Raine knew that she was all alone, awake for only a few hours before being captured by Captain America. She didn't want to end up in a prison cell for the rest of her life or be executed for being Hydra. Maybe if she asked…

"Could you please just put me back into my cryo chamber? I promise to come willingly with you. Just put me back inside to sleep and you can leave me there forever."

* * *

Steve could only stare dismayed at the troubled crying girl sitting across from him asking to be refrozen and forgotten in time again. How could she even ask that? But since Lorraine believed that he was there to _kill_ her, to her that _was_ a better alternative.

"Lorraine, I'm not going to do that to you. Nobody is," he told her which brought out even more tears.

Whatever she was going through was tougher on her than when he had woken up. Steve now understood that when he had opened his eyes that first time at least Shield had been trying to keep him calm by using that fake hospital mock-up.

Lorraine, on the other hand, had been alone in that neglected apartment. Unsure of why or what had happened around her, she had fled to try and find something familiar or safe, like her handler. And it seemed that somehow that nothing or no one she could rely on were there for her.

Her voice was so broken as she spoke, "Please, I don't want to be here anymore. I can't do this alone."

"I understand that you are very scared right now, Lorraine, but that will pass if you give it time. When you woke up, there were supposed to be people there to help you, right? Technicians and maybe your handler?"

He received a nod, telling him his guess was right.

"I'm sorry that you woke up alone and scared. But, if you will trust me, maybe _I_ can try to be the one to help you instead. I know what it feels like to wake up in a strange time surrounded by a lot of scary technology."

"You do?" she asked wiping away some of her tears. At least she seemed to be calming down a bit which was good.

"I was on a plane that went down in the Arctic. I was frozen for almost seventy years before Shield found me and woke me up," he told her.

"I remember," she calmly stated as she wiped away the tears from her cheeks.

"You remember?" he didn't think that he understood what she meant.

"My uncle showed me the newspaper article about the plane crash when I was young."

Steve didn't see Zola keeping around that newspaper for very long, making him wonder...

"Lorraine, when were you born?"

He could see her mind working, trying to decide if she should answer him before saying, "1940. If you are still alive, does that mean that Herr Schmidt is also?"

That was a lot longer than he had originally guessed. Even being frozen for forty years, Lorraine was still very young looking. And he hated seeing the little bit of hopefulness that shone in her eyes at the idea of Schmidt being alive. She believed Red Skull to be one of the good guys. Steve wished that he knew how to better handle this.

With a gentle shake of his head, he explained, "No, he's not. He was gone before the plane even crashed."

Her shoulders slumped a bit at hearing that, making him a bit sad that she felt Schmidt was a better option than he was.

"What can you tell me about when you went into the chamber?"

"Which time?" she innocently asked shocking him a bit with the answer.

"How many times did you go under?"

"I've gone to sleep five times."

That might be the answer to her young appearance. So why put her under so many times?

"Why were you woken up?" he asked.

"I can't tell you."

Lorraine was not going to trust him with any answer she felt would endanger her, and for some reason this did.

"Since you were not trained to go on missions then I don't believe that it would hurt to tell me why you were in cryo. If you tell me, then I'll understand how to better help you, and that is all I want to do."

He could see her thinking about whether to give him an answer as he noticed the sun getting lower in the sky. They would not be able to stay here for much longer.

"They were training me so that I could take care of someone one day."

That was not the answer he had been expecting at all. Steve had expected that maybe her uncle trained her to be a high-level strategist who never went into the field, or maybe she knew all the top ranking members of Hydra having grown up around them, or some other crazy reason.

Taking care of someone...not even on his list.

"Who?" he was really curious about this topic now.

"I can't tell you. It's a secret."

Steve nodded but really he didn't understand. But for her, that would be a line of questioning that she would not answer until she felt comfortable about her current situation.

The sun had gone down behind the buildings even more and the chill in the air was increasing. They needed to at least go somewhere better for them to talk where she would be warmer.

"Lorraine, it's pretty late in the day. Have you had anything to eat since you woke up?"

She shook her head, saying, "No, I just kept walking trying to get to my safe house."

Steve was curious as to this.

"Did you forget where it was? Is that why you were trying to call someone?"

"I didn't forget where it was. It's not there anymore, something else is," she told him. "I tried to call my handler but I think he is gone too."

"What is where your safe house was?" he asked wondering.

"Something called Starbucks."

Steve remembered seeing the coffee shop across the street from the school. The building looked like it had been there for a while so her safe house had been gone for a very long time.

"Well, since you haven't eaten, I know that you are probably getting hungry by now after being awake and walking for so many hours. How about if we go somewhere and have dinner? We really need to talk more but it's going to be cold and dark out here soon. Can you trust me that much...to know that I'm going to help you?"

Lorraine's expression was one of skepticism at his suggestion but she eventually nodded in agreement.

Standing up, he offered his hand to her and she accepted the help up. Picking up her belongings, he tucked the gun into his jacket pocket but offered her the bag, which she took.

"Do you have a favorite food?" he asked hoping to get her something familiar to help calm her a bit more.

"After moving here with my uncle, I really liked chicken pot pie."

He smiled at her answer.

"Offhand I can't think of a restaurant that has that on the menu, but I know of a place not far away that does really good _roasted_ chicken. Would that be alright?"

"I guess so," she told him as they started walking across the field back towards his motorcycle.

Looking on the ground ahead of him, Steve noticed the round bump of a shadow located along the dark straight line edge created by the top of the building. As he turned around to look behind him at the high ledge, there was nothing there. Examining the shadow again, the bump was now gone. Someone had been watching them from the rooftop.

Steve was pretty sure he knew exactly who it was.

Reaching his motorcycle, Lorraine froze on the sidewalk as he put his shield back into its compartment and her gun into a saddlebag.

"I can't ride on _that_ ," she firmly told him.

"All you have to do is sit on the back and hold on to me," he told her but she shook her head.

"Girls shouldn't ride on motorcycles, or at least not good girls," she informed him and earning a laugh at the comment.

"Whatever you do, _please_ don't ever tell Natasha that," he grinned at her, seeing her worry. "Times have changed, remember? It's fine for girls to not only ride on the back of motorcycles, but to drive and own them if they want."

He could see the worried expression on her face as she reasoned with his explanation.

"Is that why they are wearing pants? Because they ride motorcycles?"

"No. They wear pants and jeans because they want to."

After a few moments of hesitation, Lorraine seemed to come to terms with it.

"Alright. I only have to hold on?"

"That right."

Already sitting on the bike, he watched as Lorraine gather up her long skirt revealing her calf-high boots underneath. But then she sat backwards onto the seat so that she was actually sitting side saddle. Even if she was partially accepting of riding on the motorcycle, she was still going to do it how she considered it to be proper for a lady.

Figuring that it was the best he would get right now, he requested, "Tuck your skirt between your legs to keep it from getting in the wheel and wrap your arms around me."

"This is so humiliating," he heard her mumble.

Steve began to think that it was something he would have heard so long ago, reminding him she really was from a different time.

"You don't have anything to worry about. Trust me," he told her.

When she was ready, her hands grasping onto the back of his jacket not wanting to actually hold him, Steve started the bike and carefully took off.

* * *

Bucky watched as Steve and the girl started to walk away from him. Seeing Steve turning to look up at the roof thanks to his head's shadow being on the ground, he ducked down to hide. That had been careless. He was mostly sure that he didn't have to hide from Steve, but he always needed to be careful.

Moving to head to the ground by way of the fire escape, he watched as the tracker moved through the streets heading towards Steve's apartment as opposed to the Triskelion where Bucky thought he might be taking her.

Following in the same direction, the dot eventually stop a couple of blocks over from Steve's place and Bucky was determined to find out what was going on. He had been trying to figure out why he had been unable to shot the pretty dame when she took the shots at Steve.

At one point when she had been looking more in his direction, she almost seemed a bit familiar but with how his mind was so jumbled, it was hard to tell. Had he seen her on a previous mission?

Reaching the street and finding the motorcycle outside of one of Steve's favorite restaurants, Bucky knew where he had taken her. It had become one of his favorite restaurants to eat at. The days after Steve ate there and took home leftovers, Bucky made sure that those disappeared from his refrigerator and the Punk had yet to catch him. During the times when Steve was out of town, he would eat there knowing that he would not be caught.

By the time he reached the restaurant's location, the sun had finally set so that it was more dark than light. He could easily blend in with other pedestrians. Giving a quick walk down the opposite side of the street from the restaurant, thanks to the bright interior lights he was able see them sitting at a table looking at menus. Whoever she was, the Punk didn't seem scared of her even with the horribly aimed shots she had taken at him.

What kind of trouble was Steve getting himself into now? Searching his memories, Bucky couldn't recall Steve ever having to deal with a dame except Peggy Carter, especially such a good looking one.

Finding a secluded spot at the end of an alleyway to guard Steve from, Bucky waited for them to leave.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : Bucky not being able to 'take' a shot? Another plot bunny emerges...

I know the story has a slow build up, but there are a lot of questions about to be answered in the next chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note:**_ I wanted to say Thanks again to **SoloBug1795** for catching a grammar error in the last chapter. I used a tablet device to edit some chapters and found out later that it would auto-fill words with similar spelling or sounds. I thought I had caught and fixed all of them but I hadn't. If you notice something out of place, please PM me and I will fix it.

 _ **Chapter Four**_

For her first meal in forty years, Raine had chosen something described as spicy chicken on a skewer with a cucumber salad. And even though she saw others doing it, she refused to pick up the skewer to bite from it and was instead delicately cutting pieces of the chicken from it to eat with a fork. That was what she was raised to consider proper manners.

"How do you like it?" Steve asked her as she took another large bite of her meal.

All she could do was nod as she chewed the flavorful, tender meat. This was so much better than her last meal of plain broth she had eaten hours before going under. The technicians always made sure that her stomach was not filled before she slept. They worried about what solid foods may do to her system after she woke up.

"I'm glad you like it," he told her as he ate a thick grilled pork chop with apples and onions atop it. She almost wanted to ask for a bite to see what it tasted like. Never would she have cooked anything like that for her uncle.

"Is all food like this now?" she asked pulling another chunk of chicken from the skewer.

"I'd have to say that yes, it is much better than when we were younger."

Raine couldn't help but smile at the comment. So far Steve had been very nice to her, especially considering that she had tried to shoot him...twice. But what about once he got to know her?

When they reached the restaurant, Steve had pulled out a small device and told her it was something called a cell phone. He placed a call to Shield and spoken with the _woman_ who was in charge. He told the woman Maria Hill that Lorraine would be under his protection for the time being. Did that mean he really would keep her safe? But he was Shield. Was Steve only using that word to trick her? Was he hoping to learn about the Winter Soldier project from her? Did he know how she was part of it?

"If you are not going to let me go to sleep again, what are you going to do with me?" she asked between bites very worried about his answer.

"Right now, I have a place that you can spend the night and then we might have to go talk with Maria Hill in the morning," he told her. "Shield is going through your _apartment_ right now and searching Shield files for any records, trying to figure out why you were hidden away. Even if you don't trust me enough to tell me, I'll probably know very soon. Maria did tell me that judging by the style of furniture that nobody has been in that room since the early eighties."

She knew that he was probably right about files concerning her, but she would not give up anything that would keep her secret safe.

"They were in there then? That was about the time I should have been woken up. So why didn't they?"

"I don't have that answer for you," he told her looking a bit sad that he actually didn't.

So far Steve seemed nice, even considering that he was Shield and her enemy. It may take her a bit of time, but maybe she could try to get to her Uncle Arnim and find out why he had forgotten about her. Once she understood this modern world a bit better, she would know how to move around better. She was pretty sure that cabs still existed but she'd been taught a bit about the inflation of money so she didn't know how much it would cost to get a ride all the way to New Jersey. Maybe they still had commercial buses.

"Lorraine, could you tell me a bit more about what happened with you going in and out of cryo for so long?"

Chewing her bite of cucumber salad, Raine decided to be a bit more open as long as it was safe to do so. She just needed to word her statements to not compromise anything...more specifically _anyone_.

"Uncle Arnim needed someone for a project of his. When he told me about it and what would eventually happen, I told him that I would do it."

"Did it mean that much to you?"

"Oh, yes!" she happily nodded with a large smile thinking of her Bucky Bear.

Throughout the years as she had grown up he had always been there since she was five. He had been her only friend in the Hydra base where she lived as her uncle worked. All the other scientist didn't want her there and neither did any of the soldiers.

And the only reason they had met was thanks to a horrible meal.

 _ **1945  
/**Her uncle had not been back to their apartment for a few days while he was busy working on a new project. The nanny he had gotten to watch her was old and mean. Refusing to eat a horrible meal she cooked for dinner and having her favorite dolly taken away as punishment, Raine had run through the corridors of the huge base for so long that she had gotten lost somewhere in the lower levels. Sitting down on the cold stone floor at seeing a dark, dead-end hallway before her, she had started crying._

 _"What's wrong?" a calm male voice came through the darkness._

 _Lifting her head, she looked down the dark scary hallway to where it was coming from._

 _"I'm lost," she answered._

 _"Join the club," he had jokingly answered._

 _"Are you lost too?" she had asked standing up curious to find the owner of the nice voice._

 _"In a way, yes, I am."_

 _Walking down the dark hallway, she looked inside of the empty bedrooms with the metal bars. There were very small windows with more bars but a little bit of sun barely managed to poke through each one. At the end of the hallway, she had found the man sitting on the cot up against the wall and looking out at her. There was a bit of sunlight touching his face while hiding his body in the dark room. His brown hair was messy and it looked funny. His eyes were a pretty blue, reminding her of the sky. And the smile he gave her made her feel happy._

 _"How old are you?" he'd asked moving forward a bit to look down the hall, probably for Nanny Gretta._

 _"I'm five," she answered holding up her fingers to show him that she knew the number._

 _"How did you get here?"_

 _"I ran away from Nanny Gretta. She cooked nasty food and I didn't want to eat it."_

 _"I wonder if that is who is in charge of my meals. They are nasty too," he smiled at her and she had to smile back. He was funny. "What's your name?"_

 _"Raine with an e at the end. Only my mamma used to call me Lorraine."_

 _"Well, Raine with an e at the end, I'm Bucky, with a y at the end. When you get lost, sometimes it's best to stay in one place until someone comes to find you. Care to stay here with me until someone comes to find you?"_

 _Raine had eagerly nodded her head but as she went to sit onto the chilly floor, Bucky passed her his pillow to sit on.  
_

 _For the next hour, the two of them had talked about everything from her dolls' names to what her old bedroom looked like. She told him of her coming to live here only a few weeks ago with her Uncle Arnim since her parents had been killed during the war. He'd told her that he had been in the war and knew how scary that it could be. When she had gotten cold, he passed his blanket through the bars, wrapping it around her shoulders. Eventually, her uncle found her sitting in the hallway talking with the man she began to call Bucky Bear because of his shaggy hair._

 _For months after that, anytime that she could sneak away from Nanny Gretta, she would go down to his room and to talk with her only friend. It wasn't until her third visit that she'd seen that he was missing his left arm. He usually sat at the back of his room but that day he was sitting by the bars waiting to see if she came to play. She had started crying thinking that he was hurt, but Bucky Bear explained that it had been gone for a long time by then. After seeing her crying, from that point forward he would always call her Rainedrop._

 _There were also many times when she would get to his room and find him gone. On those days if she went back later on, she would usually find her Bucky Bear crying on his bed. She never asked why and he never talked about what made him sad. But on those days when she came back, Raine would make sure to sneak him pieces of the candy that her uncle would give her to make him feel better._

 _Then one day, Uncle Arnim didn't leave like he normally did in the mornings. He sat her down on the couch to talk with her._

 _"Bienchen, your friend, down below in the special bedroom, what is the name you call him?"_

 _Ever since coming to live with him, uncle had called her 'honey bee' due to the color of her eyes and hair._

 _"Bucky Bear," she smiled in response._

 _"You know how bears hibernate? That they will sleep for long periods of time before waking up."_

 _"During the winter?" she asking answered getting a smile from him._

 _"Yes, during winter. Well, your Bucky Bear also has a special secret name. Winter Soldier. That's because very soon, he will have to go to sleep for a long time."_

 _"I won't be able to see and play with him anymore?" she asked already about to cry at the idea of losing her only friend._

 _Her uncle pulled her in for a hug, telling her, "You can still see him, Bienchen, but he will be asleep. There will be times that he will wake up and then you can talk and play with him again. But you will be a bit older when that happens."_

 _"Will I be six?"_

 _"Yes, not only when will you be six, but even as you grow older from a little girl to a young woman, you will be able to see him every so often. You can still be friends during these times. And even though you will get bigger and older, your Bucky Bear will look just the same. And one day, the two of you may even be the same age."_

 _"Uncle, that is silly."_

 _"No, Bienchen, it's not. With the special bed that I made for him to sleep in, your friend will not grow older unless he is awake."_

 _He tried to explain what cryo-freeze was for a little while but there were too many big words that she did not understand. But then her uncle asked for her help._

 _"Could you keep being Bucky Bear's friend? Talk with him as much as you can. I am going to get a chair for you to sit in so that you will be comfortable. And in the evenings at dinner, I want you to tell me all about your friend, Bucky Bear. Can you do that for me?"_

 _She had been so happy that she would be allowed to see her friend without having to sneak away and sit on a pillow on the cold stone floor. For the next few weeks, she was allowed to spend the entire day with her friend. She would bring books for them to read, toys to play with, and candy as a treat. They would eat lunch together, and they were not cooked by Nanny Gretta. Bucky Bear was happy every day that she showed up and he was never gone or crying on his bed anymore. Being there with him made him happy, which made her happy._

 _Every night, she would tell her uncle about the stories that Bucky Bear would tell her about what he used to do growing up. He told her about living in Brooklyn in America. His best friend was a small boy named Stevie. He told her how he was always sick growing up and how he liked to draw since there were many times when he could not get out of the bed to play. She'd been sick like that too, she told him. Raine loved hearing the stories of Bucky Bear and Stevie growing up. They were able to play outside, go to playgrounds, and go to a real school. There were many stories of them fighting mean boys who picked on little Stevie and Bucky Bear would always save him. Those were her favorite stories._

 _The stories about when they were in the war made her sad since it had been during this time that Bucky Bear had become lost, had his arm hurt, and her own parents had been killed. He tried to tell her of the good times when he had saved Stevie's life, just like when they had been at home. Luckily Stevie had a shield that he could hide behind when someone shot at him. Raine wondered what little Stevie looked like carrying around such a large object, but Bucky only told her with a funny smile that he finally got strong enough to carry the item.  
_

 _After her uncle requested to hear a special story one night, so the next day she asked Bucky Bear to tell her how he had ended up lost. He looked a bit sad as he began to tell of how during the war that he and Stevie were on a moving train and the wall of the freight car was blown open. Then a bad man had shot Stevie and he had fallen down so Bucky Bear had picked up his shield to protect his friend once again. But the bad man then shot him with the very big gun, making him fall from the train through the hole._

 _During the story he had been rubbing the end of his missing arm, and she asked about it._

 _"That was when I lost my arm. I fell a long way, all the way down the side of a mountain. But my arm hit a rock sticking out of the mountain and snapped off, like breaking a pencil."_

 _"Did it hurt?"_

 _"Yes, very much. Like putting my entire arm into a furnace, which I suggest you do not try," he joked with her. "But I'm still alive and I guess that is good since I now have a new friend to talk to."_

 _Then the time came that her uncle told her about. She would not be allowed to go down and see her friend for a few days until after he had gone to sleep. Days later, walking towards her uncle's lab, she was practically pulling him along wanting to hurry to see Bucky Bear. Holding her uncle's hand in a bit of surprise, she stood in front of the metal box with the small icy window._

 _Lifting her up, Uncle Arnim showed Raine her Bucky Bear sleeping in the cold bed with a new metal arm._

 _"Where did his shiny arm come from?"_

 _"That was one of the special projects that I have been working on for him, Bienchen. He was broken, but now **I** have made him better. Your Bucky Bear is now to be called the Winter Soldier, the Fist of Hydra. Every time that he wakes up, he will do great things to make the world safe for children just like you, all in the name of Hydra."_

 _"And I can see him when he wakes up?"_

 _"Yes, Bienchen. You can. In fact, I made sure that your Bucky Bear will never forget you. Months ago I put a secret in his head so that you will **always** be safe and he can **never** hurt you."_

 _"If he works for Hydra, can I work for Hydra to? That way we can always be friends?" she'd asked reaching out to touch the cold frosted glass._

 _"When you get older, I think that would be a very good idea. In fact, I think that you just gave me a new project to start thinking about working on," he smiled at her and kissed her forehead._

 _As he carried her from the room, she turned to watch her Bucky Bear sleep. **/**_

"Lorraine? Are you alright?" Steve asked her.

She'd been daydreaming about her Bucky Bear, wondering where he was sleeping right now.

"Sorry, just thinking about…" her voice faded off without completing her thought.

"A secret?" Steve smiled at her, probably getting use to not receiving an answer from her.

"Yes. I can't tell you about it since you are the enemy after all," she smiled taking another bite of the cucumber salad.

"Am I?" Steve then asked with all seriousness.

"Of course you are. The S.S.R. and Shield have been out to destroy Hydra since the war. If my uncle had not hidden me away, they would have killed me years ago."

"Lorraine, why do you think that Shield wants to destroy Hydra?"

"Because they are afraid of losing the power they have gained. They only interfere when it suits their own needs, instead of trying to protect everyone like Hydra wants to. Hydra wants to control the corrupt government so that that the people will not have to deal with politician who place votes based on the amount of money someone pays them. They will protect families by overseeing corporations so they will not be able to drain families by overpricing for their goods and services. There will be one leadership with one ideal that will never change based on the whims of whomever is in office."

Steve was sitting across the table staring at her like she had just grown a second head. After a few moments, he placed his silverware down before talking with her again.

"None of what you just said are the true principles behind why Hydra wants power. They want to _control_ everyone like slaves so that they will do their bidding. They want to control all media, shutting down all forms of free, legitimate speech that they don't want published. They are a fascist military trying to use terror to surge to power at any cost. And what about all the people that Hydra has already hurt, tortured, killed, or even _planned_ to kill to gain that _protective power_ that you want them to have?"

"Hydra only hurt those who are _evil_ to begin with. If they need to remove someone like that, then the person _deserved_ it, I'm sure. And Hydra does _not_ torture people."

There was no mistaking the anger that quickly formed on Steve's face at _that_ comment.

"Then you don't know the _real_ Hydra at all. You learned nothing more than whatever _false lies_ your Uncle Arnim _fed_ to you."

Her own voice raised at hearing that, "That's a _lie_! My uncle would _never_ lie to me! He _loved_ me!"

"He _used_ you!" Steve practically yelled at her, getting the attention of most of the restaurant. Lowering his voice he sternly told her, "He _lied_ to you, _manipulating_ you into some _delusion_ so that he could _lock you away_ frozen in a box for _decades_ thinking that you were doing some kind of _good deed mission_."

"That's _not_ true! I know _exactly_ what I volunteered for and as _soon_ as I can figure out how to _get_ to him, I'm going to be there to _help_ my Buck…"

Lorraine slapped her hand over her open mouth, her eyes grew wide, and she instantly froze as she realized that she had slipped up. She'd endangered her Bucky Bear by starting to say his name. Feeling her face flush as the tears began to blind her again.

"What the _hell_ do _you_ know about _Bucky Barnes_?"

The warmth drained from her body as her breath hitched in her throat. Hearing his name spoken by someone from Shield, Raine _knew_ that she'd put him into danger. She had let her temper flare as Steve yelled lies about her uncle at her, making her not think properly about what she said before speaking.

Quickly standing up, she ran through the restaurant and out of the door onto the dark streets. Not caring where she was going, only knowing that she _had_ to get away from Steve, she blindly ran through the foot traffic on the sidewalk for countless blocks. Raine had messed up so much.

Coming to a stop at a water fountain, Raine collapsed on the raised edge of it crying her eyes out. Now she really _was_ in trouble. She had nobody to trust, Shield was surely hunting her, she'd run from the restaurant _without_ her bag and money, and she now endangered her Bucky Bear by mentioning his name to Steve who already seemed to know about him.

Was Shield already hunting him? Had they found him asleep and killed him to cripple Hydra? A cold fear at the thought of him dead almost made her panic. Raine knew she had to hope for the best. He had to be alive. She needed him to be.

Eventually Raine sat up and wiped away the tears that had been flowing for too long. She'd lost count of how many times today that she had cried. Her uncle had taught her better than this, to be strong, and she was failing him miserably. But _this_ is _not_ what was supposed to happen when she woke up. Her Bucky Bear was to have been there to protect her, and she would care for him.

And now, she would probably _never_ see him again.

Straighten herself up a bit, Raine looked over at one of the benches not too far away and found Steve sitting on it just coldly watching her. There was no way for her to escape from him, she was too pathetic in this strange time. He had already adjusted to it and knew what he was doing. It was only a matter of time before he locked away inside of a Shield prison cell to die.

* * *

Steve knew that he needed to take this calmly, unlike how he had been in the restaurant. Hearing Lorraine spout out those twisted words that her uncle had instilled into her, his blood began to boil. Zola had poisoned his own niece with lies about his own twisted beliefs. Had he known that Lorraine would never have followed Hydra if she'd known the truth about them?

But there was no mistaking the moment that Bucky's name partially slipped from her lips.

As she ran from the restaurant, Steve began to put together her story along with Bucky's. She'd been in cryo for years, waiting to be taken out at certain times. Just like Bucky had been from what he'd discovered in the Hydra files that Nat was able to get her hands on. He saw the fear of recognition on Lorraine's face at hearing Bucky's name.

Somehow Lorraine _was_ connected to Bucky.

Steve wanted and needed answers and since Bucky wasn't around at the moment to give them, if he even could, that only left Lorraine to give them to him. Heading out after her, he could tell that she really had not been trained as an agent in any manner. Steve managed to easily trail her on his motorcycle as she ran in a straight line down the sidewalk without even trying to loose him.

Now that she had spotted him patiently waiting for her to calm down, he stood up and walked over to her.

"Lorraine, I'm sorry that I yelled at you earlier," he told her as he took a seat next to her at the fountain. "But I think that it is time for the two of us to have a very _open_ and _honest_ discussion about you and your past, _especially_ where it concerns Bucky Barnes."

" _How_ do you know that name?" she asked still sounding very emotional. " _Nobody alive_ should still know that name except for _me_. Uncle Arnim tried to _make sure_ of that."

"That is not a discussion to have in a public place. We need to go somewhere that we will not be disturbed," he told her. "Let's go back to my place. We can talk freely there, and right next door is an empty apartment that is owned by Shield which you can stay in tonight."

"You're not going to lock me up?" she asked him wiping at her wet face.

With as much crying as she was doing, Steve hoped that he had a full box of tissues back home. He was pretty sure that she would need them.

"No, I'm not, and neither is Shield. I know that you don't want to hear it, but I believe that you've been manipulated for most of your life. It's not your fault for believing what you were told, but it's time for you to hear the other side of history. Especially where it concerns Bucky Barnes."

Lorraine looked over at him and eventually nodded her head in agreement. Both of them stood and he led her to where he'd left his motorcycle after chasing her once he had paid for their unfinished meals. They didn't speak at all during the short ride to his apartment building.

* * *

Bucky watched as the female once again began to run from Steve. Looks like the punk still didn't have any luck with the ladies. He had noticed a change in their body language while they ate. Both of them were quickly getting very upset at whatever conversation was going on between them.

But this time, he had been able to get a better look at the dame.

There was something _very_ _familiar_ about her but he _still_ couldn't place her. He tried picturing her with different hairstyles and clothing but nothing seemed right.

Watching after her as she ran, eventually Steve arrived at the small park and sat down to give her time to calm down from their heated discussion. Seeing them leaving together, he saw the tracker on the bike heading towards Steve's apartment. He needed to find out what exactly was going on. He had to make sure that Steve was safe.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter Five**_

Stepping inside of the upstairs apartment, Lorraine looked around and found that even though it was modern, it seemed to have a simplicity that she understood and liked.

"How would you like something to drink? Maybe a hot tea?" Steve offered her.

"Yes, thank you," she told him sitting down on the couch and looking at the strange thin black item hanging on the wall. Who would have a painting of all shiny black? Off to the side, there was a record player with a lot of records stacked underneath.

Hearing something clicking closed followed by a couple of beeps, Lorraine's curiosity overcame her and she walked into the kitchen. Steve was standing at a small rectangle box, similar to the one that had been in her updated apartment.

Bending over, she looked through the small glass door at a glass measuring cup with water as it slowly circled around.

"What is this?" she asked.

"A microwave oven. It heats up food and water much faster than a stove top or kettle would."

"Microwave oven. I think that there was one of these in my apartment for me to be trained on."

"I'd have to ask Maria but that is a possibility. Almost every home has one I believe," he told her as she looked around the room.

The stove-top oven looked similar to previous ones she'd cooked with, but nicer with a light-up clock. There was a large refrigerator with two doors so she moved over to examine it. There was a lever on the outside of the left door in a small recess. Reaching out, she pushed the lever and ice began to tumble from somewhere, spilling onto the floor.

"I'm sorry," she told him, kneeling down to try and gather the scattered cubes.

"Don't worry, I did the same thing my first time seeing it," he told her as they gather up the frozen items as the microwave beeped.

Tossing the cubes into the sink, Steve took the measuring cup out and began to pour the boiling water into the two mugs with teabags already in them. They took a moment to add sugar before he led her back into the den for their talk after turning off the kitchen lights.

* * *

Seeing the two of them through the window finally moving from the kitchen into the den, Bucky made his way onto the fire escape. Carefully he jimmied the kitchen window just as he had numerous times over the past few months and cracked it open so that he would be able to listen in on their conversation.

* * *

Following Steve into the den, he indicated for her to sit on once side of the couch while he sat on the other. Raine knew her uncle would be disappointed in her for two reasons: first for just being there with Captain America, second for being alone with a male without a chaperone. But unfortunately there were no Hydra agents to watch over her this time as they had when she was a teenager.

"Lorraine, I need to ask you some very emotional questions that I know you will not want to answer due to thinking that they are a secret but it's very important that you do. Can you try to do that for me?"

"I don't know," she honestly told him. "My uncle made it very clear what was at stake if anyone found out about me or the project I was to help with."

"Would it have been the Winter Soldier program by chance?"

She about dropped the mug from her hand at hearing that name spoken aloud.

"How do you…what do you… _nobody_ outside of the Hydra top command should know that name!"

"Well, until a few months ago, nobody _really_ did. Until then, we believed that Hydra had been eliminated years ago."

"What happened?" while a bit afraid of the answer.

"Did you ever hear of Project Insight?" to which she shook her head. Steve continued, "Hydra infiltrated Shield from the very start and eventually used them to create three flying helicarriers that would target and kill anyone that Hydra considered a threat to them. And in the process of taking those targets out there would have been millions of innocent people as casualties."

"That's not possible," she told him, firmly shaking her head. "My uncle would _never_ have allowed that…"

"It was _your uncle_ that _created_ the computer algorithm that the helicarriers used to target those people."

Lorraine put the mug onto the coffee table before she spilled it all over herself due to her shaky hands.

"No, he wouldn't do that! If I can just get to talk with him, I can prove it to you."

"Lorraine, where exactly do you think your uncle is?"

Pursing her lips together, Raine thought she might have messed up. There was no way that she would ever tell him where her uncle was. She'd spent the final weeks of his life with him as he had been using the strange device he'd created to transfer his consciousness into the incredible computer technology. Once she had buried his physical body and taken some time for herself, she'd gone back into cryo to wait for the next time that she would need to be updated on the world.

But it had never happened.

Seeing that she was not going to answer him, Steve asked her hesitantly, "Do you know about the underground bunker at Camp Lehigh?"

Hearing him say that name worried her very much. What had happened while she slept to reveal so many Hydra secrets? Since Steve already knew about it…

"Why do _you_ know about Camp Lehigh? Is my uncle still there?"

Steve began to slowly shake his head, silently telling Raine her worst fear. Her uncle may be finally gone, leaving her all alone.

"So you know about the computer that he was _living_ in?"

Raine nodded her head remembering talking with him after the funeral. It had been so strange to still have him around but not really there.

"I was there for him as he was dying. When he found out he was sick, I was woken up so that I could stay with him for those final months until he passed, to take care of him. Afterwards, I decided to stay awake for a while, living on my own for about two years."

"And then you went back into cryo?" She nodded in response. "Was that the last time that you woke up before today?"

"Yes, but I was supposed to be woken up between every five to ten years so that I could be trained on newer technology that had been created so that…" she stopped herself again from exposing the truth.

"This is where you need to trust me and be honest with me," Steve told her.

It seemed that he already knew so much about stuff he shouldn't so maybe there was no harm in telling him the rest.

"Once the Winter Soldier project moved on to the next stage, I was to be there to help him."

"What was _supposed_ to have been the next stage?" he asked her, but by his wording she knew that something had gone wrong.

"My uncle was working on a super-soldier serum. Once he perfected it, it was to be used on a group of recruits. Bucky was going to be the one to train them. When it was time for that to happened, I was supposed to be woken up."

"You were to be there to _help_ Bucky? _How_?"

There was no way for her to hide the blush she felt creeping into her cheeks.

"I told you. To take care of him. To cook his meals for him, do his laundry, clean the house…warm his bed."

There was a lot of seconds passing as Steve just stared at her with that admission.

"Were you supposed to be his _wife_?"

"If he wanted me to be, yes. Otherwise, I would just take care of him."

Steve's eyes narrowed at her as he probably tried to understand.

"And you _volunteered_ to do this? _Why_?"

"Because ever since I was five years old, he has always been my friend, my Bucky Bear."

* * *

Listening to the strange story the dame was telling, Bucky couldn't place anything she was mentioning. None of his handlers ever mentioned there being a female to do those things for him. A wife? Hydra planned on him to have a wife? Why?

But then she continued speaking and a shock went through him.

Hearing that playful nickname, he began to recall parts of his time as a prisoner in the Hydra base. With the flood of choppy memories coming to him, Bucky finally realized why the woman he had been looking at seemed so strangely familiar.

Reaching for the windowsill, he began to raise it up so he could enter Steve's apartment.

* * *

"Bucky Bear?" Steve couldn't help but smile at the adorably childish term of endearment from her.

"That's what I grew up calling him. When we first met his hair was always a shaggy brown mess and it reminded me of the bears from the bedtimes stories my uncle would sometimes tell me. And he would call me…"

"Rainedrop."

Both of them turned, startled at the sound of the male voice coming from the dark kitchen.

Standing back in the shadows, there was no mistaking his best friend's silhouette. Steve couldn't believe that Bucky had finally come out of hiding after so many months. Stepping into the light from the den, he looked very plain in the civilian clothes and baseball cap that was holding back the mess of long hair from his stubble covered face.

"Bucky?" he asked aloud as if needing confirmation as they both stood to look at the unexpected guest.

But Lorraine continued to move around the couch heading right for him, not stopping until she rammed into him while latching her arms around his chest in a large hug.

"Bucky Bear! I knew you have to be alive! I had no idea that you were awake! I thought that you were still sleeping in Siberia."

Steve and Bucky made eye contact as his arms came up to hesitantly wrap around Lorraine. Seeing that, Steve wondered how much he actually remembered her.

"No, I haven't been at that base for a very long time, Rainedrop."

"What are you doing here? How did you find me? How did you know I was awake?" she asked him moving only far enough away to be able to look up at his face with a smile on her own. Steve could feel the pure love coming from her at seeing Bucky. It was a _much_ different greeting than he had received earlier today.

"I wasn't actually looking for you. And I'm not sure exactly _how_ you are here. But _I'm_ here because I've been following Steve around for quite a while now," he admitted to her.

Lorraine looked back over at him, then strategically moved slightly to Bucky's side so she was not caught between the two of them, asking plainly, "Is Steve your target?"

"No, he's not. Rainedrop, this is my friend Stevie…the one from the stories that I used to tell you."

The look of confusion scrunched up Lorraine's face as she looked over at him, examining him head to toe.

"He can't be. He's not a scrawny runt like you told me."

"I used to be," Steve told her with a smile and amused at how Bucky had described him.

"How can he be Stevie?" she asked Bucky but Steve answered for him.

"It was a version of the super-soldier serum, the one that your uncle was trying to duplicate."

He could see her mind working something out as she looked between them.

"The train story. You said it was Stevie's shield that you picked up."

"Yes. I might have left out mentioning that Stevie is Captain America."

Lorraine seemed to consider something for a few extra moments before backing a foot or two away from Bucky.

"Then you're friends with the enemy!"

Steve could hear the hurt in her voice.

"No, Rainedrop. _Hydra_ is the enemy, _not_ Shield."

"No, they've somehow gotten to you! Remember your training, your conditioning!" she pleaded with him.

Bucky took a step towards her, firmly asking, "Why would Hydra have needed to force _conditioning_ onto me if they were the _good_ guys? If what they were doing was _right_ , why did they turn me into an _assassin_?"

"Uncle Arnim said that you would make the world _safe_. They trained you to be the best at _removing evil_ from the world, so that you could be the Fist of Hydra when they needed you to be."

"I _never_ wanted that. I _wanted_ to go _home_! Hydra turned me into a _murderer_! And all of those times you found me _crying_ in my prison cell was from the _torture_ that I had just endured that day because of _your uncle_! Why did you think that I was _in_ that cell? Because I _wanted_ to be there?" he angrily asked her, his voice raising with each question.

"No, you had a special bedroom to keep you safe so the bad men, the S.S.R., couldn't get to you," she was slowly stepping back from Bucky even more now. Steve saw a panicked look sprint up on Lorraine's face suddenly. Had she just made the connection between his 'special bedroom' and a prison cell? Steve guessed that Lorraine had as Bucky responded to her.

"I was Hydra's _prisoner_! Your uncle _experimented_ on me trying to duplicate the serum's formula that he lost when the factory blew up. He _painfully_ cut away at my arm for samples of my flesh to test. Eventually he finally attach _this_ ," Bucky displayed his metal palm in front of her face, "to me, turning me into a weapon for Hydra that _I never wanted to be!_ "

"No, he was _fixing_ what was broken, making you _better_ than you were! You have to remember the _truth_!"

Steve saw that there was no mistaking how hard it she was taking hearing the statements from Bucky who was steadily growing angrier with each sentence. From their talk earlier, he knew that Lorraine had been told a twisted version of reality about Hydra and Bucky and it seemed she never questioned it…but why would she? She had been so young.

" _Remember the truth_? The only _truth_ is that for the past seventy years, every single time I was woken up to do Hydra's dirty work, they _fried_ my brain over and over with _electricity_ until every single memory of _who I was_ fade away into _nothing_! Erasing my _life_ , erasing _Steve_ …even erasing _you_!"

"That's not true! You know me, you called me Rainedrop! You have to remember me!" she pleaded with him with reddening eyes.

"Nothing more than bits and pieces and that's only because Steve _saved_ me from them. He managed to bring Hydra down and in the process stopped millions of people from dying all the while trying to help me remember who I was so that I could finally be _free_ from them _._ My memories are only now slowly returning little by little thanks to Steve. But the _one_ thing I _know_ for sure is that _your uncle_ was one of the most _hideous_ human beings to ever walk this earth and his _death_ was nothing but a _gift_ to mankind!"

Steve could see that Lorraine was being given too much conflicting information all at once as she continued to back away from Bucky. It seemed that for her entire life, she'd been told her Bucky had been there of his own freewill. That he wanted to be Hydra. But now she was learning from the only person she felt she could truly trust..that she loved...that it was all a lie.

Lorraine's face was sorrowful and her red eyes shed tears as her voice began to pour out syllables instead of words as an answer to Bucky's severe comments. Steve saw the change in her body a moment before…

"Buck…" he tried to get his attention but it was too late.

As he started to speak, the culmination of today's events finally crashed onto Lorraine, shutting down her entire body as she collapsed towards the floor. Bucky, being closer to her, managed to grab a hold of her just before impact. He easily lifted Lorraine to cradle her in his arms as he looked over at Steve, trying to silently figure out what to do with her.

"Let's put her on my bed for now," he told him pointing at the door to his bedroom.

Following Bucky inside, he watched him carefully lay Lorraine down before stepping away from her, anger still evident on his face at their argument. Steve pulled the blanket from the foot of the bed to cover her with. Checking the pulse on her wrist, it was slow and steady. She seemed to be heavily asleep after being shocked into unconsciousness. He was sure that after today she was also exhausted. Between the two, she would probably be out for a while.

Leaving the door open, the two of them walked back into the den.

Taking in his best friend's appearance, it seemed that all of the missing leftover had helped him to be able to take care of himself. Bucky didn't look as if he'd lost any weight and his clothes didn't seem too dirty. Had he found somewhere to live? Was he moving around hiding? There were so many questions to ask but glancing at the bedroom wall, there was another issues that took precedence.

"Well, it's good to see you again," Steve told him as Bucky began to pace in front of the fireplace.

"This is _not_ what I wanted to happen," Bucky told him seeming hesitant to make eye contact.

"I'm sure you would have gone with some dramatic," Steve said getting his best friend to finally look at him. There was something about the corner of his lip rising that told Steve that Bucky remembered a bit of his past. Hoping he was right, Steve continued, "But it is what it is and now we have to figure out how to deal with it."

"Deal with it? Steve, she," his finger pointed accusing at the wall, " _thinks_ that I wanted to be _tortured_ and _experimented_ on!"

"Buck, after seeing her reaction to your comments, I don't think that she knew about _any_ of that."

"How could she _not_? She found me inside of a dark, cold prison _cell_!"

Thinking about this part of his past was still bringing out Bucky's anger. He wasn't considering Lorraine's side of things.

"And she was how old? _Five_? Do you really think that at that age she understood what you were going through? Or do you think that since the two of you first met that her uncle Zola managed to warp his twisted Hydra beliefs onto her? Because after talking with her, that is _exactly_ what it sounds like to me."

Bucky took his hat off, tossing it onto a chair as he ran his hands through his long hair while also calming his stomping pacing enough so Steve figured that he at least partially agreed with what he had pointed out.

"How did she even get here? I didn't catch enough of her story to understand? She was in cryo-freeze somewhere?"

"Sit down at least, this is going to take a few minutes," he told him as they both sat on the couch.

Steve explained starting in order of the events that he had learned from Maria at her initial phone call, leading him to finding her, what he had watched from the rooftop, and to what they had discussed while eating.

"I can't believe that Zola twisted her mind so much that she was willing to do that for Hydra," Bucky said when he was done.

"No, Bucky, from what she told me, she did it for _you_. Do you remember seeing her during the times when you were awake?"

"Yes, at the very beginning she was always there. I never understood why though. Every time they took me out to work on my conditioning and training, Rainedrop would be there, always a year or so older. It was one of the few ways that I could tell the passage of time. Steve, I watched her grow from the age of five into a young teenager in the blink of an eye."

Steve knew that it had be difficult for his friend, and there was no way to really understand what he had gone through.

"But then, one day, I woke up and she wasn't there. I had already been moved to a new base to start my reprogramming and finish the conditioning. None of the scientist would tell me what had happened to her. I thought that maybe too much time had gone by and that she'd gotten old and died while I slept. I had no idea that she'd been put into her own cryo-freeze chamber to wait for me."

"Zola used the friendship that she had made with you as a small child to warp her mind for decades to his ways. Don't blame _her_ for that. She grew up around the principals of Red Skull and Hydra. Anyone being taught that from such a young age would try to hold on to the only thing they have always believed in. All we can do is try to make her see the truths _behind the lies_ she knows. Talking with and learning the truth _from you_ is going to be a big part of that…unless you plan on disappearing again?"

Bucky looked over at the bedroom wall again, probably trying to decide how to deal with the strange situation.

"I can barely take care of myself, how am I supposed to help her?"

"First, stop stealing my milk and leftovers," Steve joked earning him a sharp eye and grin. "I'm going to have to call Maria Hill soon and let her know about Lorraine's story. The empty apartment next door is owned by Shield and I'm going to see if she can stay there for now. She's going to need time to adjust to how the world is, how it _really_ is without Hydra."

"I have a feeling that is not going to go very well," Bucky told him.

"That's why I think having you around will be good for her. The only thing that she seems to know is how to take care of someone, namely you. That's the one thing you just admitted to having a hard time doing. I have a feeling that somehow Zola figured out that something like this would happen and used his influence in Hydra to keep the two of you together," Steve explained to his friend. "Granted, he may have thought that it may happen years after Project Insight and Hydra would be ruling the world by then."

"The two of us together? All I see is the little girl, the one showing me her new missing tooth, bringing me stuffed animals to play with. I'm not…I can't be there for her like that. I'll try to help her see the truth, but that also means that she needs to move past whatever life she had planned on having while working for Hydra. That _includes_ any type of relationship with me."

Hearing that, Steve could understand why Bucky would feel that way at this moment. She may be lost right now, but what will Lorraine want once she has new options out there for her? Over the next few weeks to months, however long it took all of them to readjust to a new life without Hydra looking over their shoulders, Steve also wondered if his best friend would still feel that way about her.

Bucky may say that he only sees the little girl he knew, but in Steve's eyes, Lorraine was a beautiful grown woman...his old friend's main weakness. Also one that already had a strong affection for him. Once they began to get reacquainted with how they both were now, would he still feel the same?

"Steve, about the helicarrier…"

"Bucky, I know. _You_ never would have hurt me like that," he told him then added, " _You_ would have hit me _harder_."

"What a comedian. You should go on tour with Bob Hope," Bucky gave a slight smile. "Go ahead and call Hill. If she agrees to not lock up Rainedrop or me, I'll stick around…more than I have been for the past few months."

* * *

While Steve was on the phone in the other room, Bucky stood over the bed where Rainedrop was still unconscious or asleep. It was hard to tell the difference. She gotten such a painful shock to her system with him yelling at her that her entire body had finally closed down on her. Considering what she had been going through for the past few hours, he was a bit surprised that it had not happened sooner. There was a chance that she may not wake up until morning at least. At least Steve had found her so something like this had not happened out on the street.

Sitting down onto the edge of the bed, he let his fingers touch the curled ends of her dark blond hair. Gone were the braided pigtails from the little girl who he used to read stories to between his torture sessions. Being close to her in the den, he saw she had the same eyes, the light amber brown with a touch of gold that reminded him of honey. He could still see the little girl who had cried when discovering that his arm was missing, earning her the nickname Rainedrop.

How could she agree to allow herself to be frozen over and over again just to make sure that she would be able to help him adjust when Hydra finally kept him awake? She'd allowed herself to willingly go through what he'd been forced to accept with the cryo-freeze. Had he really meant so much to her?

He heard her comment from the window, about being there to 'warm his bed' and to be his wife. She had believed that he would possibly come to love her in a physical way. Why? The last time they had seen each other, she was only around twelve years old. There was no way that she understood that type of relationship then. Bucky figured that it had to be something that she was 'trained' to believe, as she'd called it talking with Steve.

But looking at her peacefully sleeping, even considering how angry he had been a little while ago, Bucky knew that he would make sure to protect and keep her safe, no matter what happened between them.

All because he had been...was...her friend.

If he had known how Zola would have twisted that friendship, he would have put an end to it when she was five.

The smile on her face at first seeing him after so long had warmed his chest and started to calm him. Until they had spoken.

He hadn't meant to yell at her like that…but what she had been saying…he couldn't understand how she believed any of it. But with her believing that _he_ followed Hydra's principals, Rainedrop had let herself be taught those terrible things, accepting her uncle's lies as the truth. After talking with Steve, he knew what they had been talking about in the restaurant that had made her run a second time.

On top of that, Bucky felt horrible thinking that he had frightened her of him so much that she fainted, not just hearing what he tried to poorly explain to her with screaming. The entire situation could have been handled better. The one person Rainedrop had been hoping to find to keep her safe had yelled and frightened her. Her friend had not been there for her, replace by the angry monster that had taken over for those few minutes.

Would she be scared of him when she woke up?

Bucky hoped not and that they could move past his outburst to show Rainedrop that her friend was still somewhere deep inside of his twisted, angry memories. He would have to control his temper better tomorrow. It was Hydra who deserved his anger, not her.

He may not like what she had learned during her upbringing that had turn her into how she was now, but what about once Rainedrop knew the truth? How would he feel if she accepted the fact that she'd been lied to her entire life about him? Could she see him for who he really was? Would she still be willing to be there for him?

Did he want her to be?

* * *

Steve waited until Bucky came back out of the bedroom after speaking with Maria instead of interrupting him. He knew that this was going to be hard on the two of them. Hopefully they would be able to adjust together.

"Maria said that given the situation, that you and Lorraine could use the place next door. It's fully furnished since it was all Shield belongings and not Agent 13's."

"Living a wall away," Bucky told him with a bit of a smile. "Sounds a bit like Brooklyn."

"And that is a good thing," he told him reaching into a vase to retrieve the spare key he'd gotten in case he ever needed to get into the extra apartment. They were the only two flats on this top level so they would have full run of it. "Come on, let's go see what's there. Then we can move Lorraine over there if she's still asleep."

Opening up the door, they looked around the other single bedroom apartment. Due to the long narrow shape, the kitchen area only had bar seating to separate it from the den area on the left. Ahead and to the right was the bedroom, with a bath to be accessed from a small hall to the open den area. A very simple layout with not a lot of extra room, but then Kate had not needed the space. It was the location that was of most importance.

"It doesn't seem to have been disturbed," Bucky said walking over to check the back door leading to the fire escape.

"How would you know?" he asked while guessing the answer.

"I may have crashed here a couple of nights," he gave him one of those smiles.

"Bucky, why didn't you just knock on my door? I wanted to be there to help you," he told him.

Bucky kept checking the windows, pulling the shades down for privacy.

"After what I did to you, I couldn't stand what they turned me into. Every time I saw you walking around with those bruises, I knew that this time _I_ was the one who caused them, _not_ some bully in an alleyway."

"You know that I don't hold you responsible for any of that. You should have come to me," Steve told him looking around and thinking the apartment would work nicely for the two of them. Luckily Shield had been busy and didn't consider emptying it a priority right now.

"I hold myself responsible," Bucky told him.

"Well, I'm ordering you not to, Sergeant," he smiled at his best friend.

"Pulling rank again?"

"If it works," he told him.

"So what do we do about Rainedrop?"

Steve sat on one of the bar chairs as Bucky went inside of the bedroom. The sound of more shades being pulled down reached his ears as he responded.

"When she wakes up, she's going to be just as confused as she was all day, maybe more. Both of us not yelling at her would probably be the best."

Bucky left the room saying, "But the stuff she keeps saying…"

"Is what her _uncle_ told her. We _both_ need to _calmly_ start telling her the truth behind the lies that she's been told for all of her life."

"I don't think I can do that," Bucky said worriedly getting his attention. He then clarified, " _I mean_ that my mind is still so jumbled that I can't recall a lot of my past. Only bits and piece are there, unless something draws them out and even then they are out of order. Even with what I remember from Rainedrop...I can only order them by how big she was in them."

"Then I'll be there to help you…both of you."

"This is not going to be easy. You heard the lies coming from her. She's going to fight us the entire way."

"Just like old times," Steve told him with a grin.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : So now with that bit of history of Raine explained, I hope you like the concept. I felt that both of the guys would be very emotional when it came to discussing Hydra and what they knew about them. And it was a bit fun to write 'angry Steve and Bucky' for a bit. They are dealing with something very unique with Raine that will push a lot of buttons. And _**hello** _to all of you now following the story! I'd love to hear what you think so far so please review!


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter Six**_

Raine rolled over yawning as she stretched her arms while laying on the warm soft...and then began to panic. What _was_ she laying on?

The last thing she had remembered was her Bucky Bear screaming horrible lies at her, then everything had gone dark.

Opening her eyes, she could barely make out the room that she was in due to the curtains being pulled shut. There was barely any light peeking around the edges. But everything in here seemed like a normal bedroom so at least she hadn't been thrown into a cell.

Sitting up on the bed, she saw that the bedroom door was open but there was no sounds coming from the other room wherever she was. Whomever had put her into the bed had done so leaving her clothes on except for her shoes. Putting her socked feet on the floor, she found her boots at the foot of the bed and pulled them on.

Walking into the other room, Raine had figured that she was still at Steve's place since that was where she had last been but this was somewhere new.

"Hello?" she quietly called out with no response telling her she was alone.

The small apartment was cozy, except for being too dark. She could barely make out a pillow and blanket on the couch as if someone had slept on it. Walking to the windows, she began to lift the strange shades, letting in the morning sunlight. That was something that she sorely missed every time she had woken up. It was always so dull in her and uncle's hidden apartment, but then it had to be. Even the training apartment in the Triskelion was also deep underground, but it was meant to keep her safe.

The view before her overlooked the roof of the building next door and off into the distance while the morning sun was to the side so it was not blinding. Looking down she saw a small alleyway with a fire escape leading down to it, seeming to be accessible through the door in the kitchen.

But seeing a way out, Raine took a moment to decide if she needed to use it.

Everything that she had learned yesterday told her that from this point on, no matter what she had believed would happen while growing up, it had all been a lie. Hydra seemed to be gone thanks to Captain America still being alive, leaving her without anyone to trust. The Winter Solider program was no longer progressing to where she would be needed.

And worse, her Bucky Bear had yelled horrible lies at her meaning that he had been compromised. He was no longer someone who would protect her as her uncle always said he would. Instead, he hated her. There was no way he would ever come to love her as she already did for him. It sounded like he didn't even want to be her friend, the only other possibility she had considered as an outcome.

What was she to do if not care for her Bucky Bear? All she knew was how to run a household, waiting for the day she would be needed to do just that…for the one person she cared for in this world besides her uncle. And now, not only did Bucky Bear not want her, her uncle was also dead.

But was he?

Just because Steve had _said_ that Uncle Arnim was dead, why should she believe him? He was the _enemy_. Maybe he really was still at Camp Lehigh and Steve was _tricking_ her into thinking he was gone to compromise her.

Raine knew that she needed to find out the truth for herself.

Turning around, she began to search through the kitchen drawers for any money or information that she could use to get to her uncle. Finding nothing, she went back to the bedroom, going down through all the bureau drawers. Nothing but a few scraps of strange blue and green clothing. They looked horrible...who would have worn this?

"What are you looking for?"

* * *

Opening up the apartment door, Bucky could hear the sound of drawers in the bedroom opening and closing. He could tell she'd been in this room thanks to the open curtains allowing anyone to spy on their movements. Putting the cup holder with coffees and a bag of breakfast pastries down on the kitchen counter, he stepped over to see what Rainedrop was doing. She was searching through the dresser drawers searching for something. In her hands were the medical scrubs that Agent 13 had left behind.

"What are you looking for?" he asked her, startling her into an upright stance.

There was a brief moment when her face shined at seeing him standing there, making him feel a bit warmer inside for the reaction. But then her expression changed to somewhere between anger and sadness. Bucky could that she was still mad _and_ didn't trust him anymore.

"Nothing."

" _Really_?" he sarcastically asked leaning on the doorjamb.

"Where am I?"

"In the apartment next door to Steve's."

He could see that she didn't like to hear that.

"I'm going to leave," she informed him with all certainty.

He couldn't help but give a bit of a smile at hearing that.

"And where would you go?"

"Steve lied to me about my uncle being dead and I'm going to go find him. He'll tell me the truth…and explain what is going on…and tell me why I didn't get woken up…and he'll keep me safe since there is nobody else to anymore!" she then used her foot to kick the bottom drawer closed to emphasize her statement.

But Rainedrop's voice had begun to crack with both fear and anger as she spoke telling him that she still didn't believe anything that either he or Steve had told her last night to be the truth. It seemed that she wanted proof that they were not lying.

Maybe letting her get her way would be the best thing for right now.

Narrowing his eyes, he smile and told her, "Then let's go see your Uncle Arnim."

* * *

Steve was standing on the street corner with Bucky and Lorraine next to him only a short time later waiting for their ride. After talking with Bucky about what Lorraine wanted to do, they had decided that letting her actually see that the place she believed her uncle to be at was really gone would help her to believe them. She may not like them for it, but Lorraine would see that they had not been lying.

He had called Sam to see if he would not only give them a ride, but he'd given him a brief explanation about Lorraine and what had happened to her. With the conflicting emotional time that she was about to experience, she was going to need a lot of help, the kind that Sam could give. There was a good chance that Bucky may need another person to talk to, if he eventually trusted Sam.

"There he is," he told them as he spotted Sam in the new car that Shield had purchased to make up for the loss of the previous one thanks to Bucky. He had decided not mentioned him being here, wanting to do that in person.

Pulling his car into a space close by but down the street at a safe distance, Sam stepped out and looked over at their group. Sam them pointed his finger right at Steve and then used his finger to motion for only him to come over.

"Give us a minute," he requested before walking away. Coming to stand at the passenger door, he smiled at his friend, "How are you this morning?"

"I _was_ doing fine until I spotted the man who tried to _kill_ the both of us a couple of months ago," Sam retorted keeping his eyes more on Bucky than Steve.

"Would it make you feel better to know that the programming seems to be all gone and that the Bucky I knew is back?" he offered.

"How confident are you that neither one of us is going to end up dead in a ditch somewhere on this road trip?" Sam asked with all seriousness.

"You'll just have to trust me," he said looking back over at the two others. Both of them looked nervous about today but for different reasons. He'd mentioned to Bucky who was picking them up, a bit shocked to learn that the person he kicked from the helicarrier had lived. Lorraine was worried about finding out that her uncle really was gone. "Sam, don't you always have an interesting time when we are together?"

" _Interesting_? I want today to be very _boring_ ," Sam told him closing the door as they walked over together to greet the others.

"Sam Wilson, this is Lorraine Zola. Lorraine, Sam," he said as they shook hands as they said their hellos. Indicating Bucky, he said, "And I believe the two of you have met before, this is Bucky Barnes. Sam Wilson."

Neither one of them actually reached out to shake hands, but both nodded their heads at each other.

" _This_ is going to be a _fun_ trip," Steve jovially stated as he held out is hand to escort Lorraine towards Sam's car.

* * *

Sitting in the back of the car as Sam drove them to Camp Lehigh, Raine did her best to ignore the fact that she was now surrounded by enemies, including her Bucky Bear. Somehow over the past few months that he had been 'free' as he called it, he'd been totally compromised by his supposed best friend. Gone was her friend who used to laugh and smile at her silly jokes, only to be replaced with someone who glared at her with disdain most of the time.

It was during those other times that had her confused. When she was able to spot his face in a reflection without him knowing that she was, she could see sorrow in his eyes as he looked at her. Why would he be sorry for her? Her uncle had given her everything she had asked for. Books and toys to share with her friend, letting her play with Bucky Bear when he was not sleeping, teaching her about Hydra so that she could always be friends, making her a cryo-freeze chamber so that she could slowly age as he was doing, having her home updated so she could be taught how to care for Bucky Bear once he would no longer need to sleep.

Raine could still remember how upset she had been when her uncle explained that it was time for her Bucky Bear to go off to work for Hydra as the Winter Soldier. He was going to be a stationed at a base somewhere in Siberia where she could not go. Uncle Arnim was going back to America to work on more projects and that meant she would have to go with him.

After arriving at Camp Lehigh and getting settled, he hooked up her initial cryo-freeze chamber so that she could see how it worked, testing it and modifying it so that she would be safe. They told the Shield agents that she was gone away to school during those months, waking her up during the appropriate times for holidays to make their story plausible. Hydra made sure all of the paperwork proved she was away learning and doing well.

Until the time her uncle woke her to tell her of his illness. Then she had stayed awake, using her training to take care of him as he grew sicker and weaker.

Raine felt her face flush as she thought about the final lessons she'd asked her uncle to find someone to help with. After learning all about how to take care of a household, she pointed out to Uncle Arnim that she also wanted to know how to ' _be_ ' with Bucky Bear. Since reaching her teenage years, Raine had watched the American boys and girls on the streets walking…and kissing. But not once had that ever been her. There was only one person that she ever wanted to kiss. She may still use her silly little girl nickname for him, but she knew that Bucky Bear was a grown man.

And that meant that he would want a woman at his side.

After pointing this out to her uncle, he had a very nice lady come to visit her a couple of times a week so that they could talk privately about anything. Mademoiselle Jacqueline was very beautiful and she worked for Hydra also, which meant that Raine could talk about why she needed to learn about kissing and sex, so that she could take care of Bucky. Not only did they have very long discussions about any topic that she wanted to, but Mlle. Jacqueline gave her a couple of books to read…romance novels.

The very first time she had gotten to a scene where the man and woman began to kiss and touch each other, she had thrown the book down to the floor, glancing around worried as if she had been doing something bad. It wasn't until the next day that she picked it up and tried reading it again since she had been so embarrassed.

After only a couple of weeks, Mlle. Jacqueline had to go back home and she'd never seen her again. Raine had asked her uncle if it would be possible to talk to her over the phone sometimes, but he told her that she was working once again and that it would not be possible. From that point forward, she had to go to bookstores and purchase the naughty books herself.

But it seemed that as of right now, all of the reading that she had done was for nothing. She had always imagined that once her Bucky Bear woke up and saw that she was a grown woman, along with all that she had learned to be able to take care of him, that he would want her just like the men in the books wanted those women.

Instead, he yelled at her.

He was mad at her.

He hated her.

All of them did.

"We're here," Sam's voice pulled Raine from her miserable thoughts as she felt herself growing happy at knowing what was about to happen.

She was going to see her Uncle Arnim.

Scooting a bit towards the center of the back seat, she looked out at the gates blocking the road to Camp Lehigh. Steve got out of the car after Sam stopped at them, using a bit of muscle to break open the locked chain keeping them closed. A few minutes later they were pulling to a stop very close to where the bunker should be.

Opening the car door, Raine began to run past the barracks building leaving the others behind her.

But rounding the corner, she froze in place.

Instead of the doors leading into the underground headquarters where her uncle had hid his computer body, there was nothing but a large crater in the ground. Enormous chunks of concrete and metal were scattered all around. Walking up to the hole, she was able to see down into the pit that should have housed the massive amount of computers.

But it was gone.

Her uncle was gone.

Falling to her knees, she now knew that Steve had not been lying to her when it came to this. Captain America and Shield had finally managed to kill her uncle.

"Lorraine, how are you doing?" Sam's asked from behind her.

With probably too much hate in her voice, she informed him, "I just found out that your friend killed my uncle! How do you _think_ that I am right now?"

"Technically, Zola called in the airstrike to Hydra himself," Steve then told her. "He knew what he was doing and that it would mean the end to him."

"No!" she firmly told him standing back up and dusting off her skirt. "My uncle went to _great lengths_ to keep his mind alive. He would _never_ have done that!"

"I have no reason to lie to you about this," Steve pointed out.

"Why not? You've lied about everything else," but as soon as the words left her mouth, Raine began to doubt her own statement.

For a brief moment, she realized that she couldn't recall a single lie she had been able to confirm.

"Neither one of _us_ has _lied_ to you!" Bucky soundly stated and she could hear in his voice that he was already angry with her.

She was _not_ going to stand here and let them be _mean_ to her again!

At least they had brought her _home_.

Turning towards the Fabrication Shop, she stomped off to go see what remained of it. There was a good chance that her belongings were still there in her apartment. If nothing else, she was somewhere familiar and at least she would finally be away from the angry group of enemies.

"Where are you going?" Steve asked her but she just kept walking.

"Why do you care? Why would any of you care? Just go away and leave me alone!" she yelled angrily back at them.

* * *

"Shouldn't we follow her?" Sam asked him and Bucky as they watched Lorraine heading off to another area of the camp. He was not exactly sure where she was headed, but if he remembered correctly it was in the direction of the motor pool. There were no vehicles there for her to use to leave them behind.

"We will, but let's give Lorraine some space to cool off," Steve sighed wondering how to handle this now that she knew her uncle was really gone.

"So that morning when you explained that someone tried to blow you and Nat up, _this_ is what you survived?" Sam asked Steve pointing at the crater.

"Impressed?" Steve grinned, earning him a groan from Sam as he then looked to his other friend.

Bucky was staring at Lorraine's back and he looked upset but Steve wonder which part of this entire situation was making him feel that way right now. They had talked a lot last night and it had fiercely upset him at learning how much her uncle's teaching had twisted her mind towards Hydra.

Bucky had been able to tell him a bit about how they had first met and how she would sneak down to talk and play with him while he was in his cell. Steve believed that Lorraine was too young to figure out what was going on around her, and had been so innocent that she had easily believed anything that she had been told.

Unfortunately, Bucky did finally admit that at no time had he really explained his situation to her, that he was a prisoner, and so when her uncle had said he was there to be kept safe she had no reason to doubt him.

Now, she was finally learning the truth in a whirlwind of events that were going to take a large toll on her later, just as they had last night. Steve just hoped that she was strong enough to make it through this all right. From the little bit that Bucky did remember of her, Lorraine sounded like a happy, friendly, and determined young girl. He only hoped that Zola hadn't taken that away from her.

Giving her enough of a space and hoping that they could all cool their emotions down, they began to follow after her. Passing the old barracks and mess hall, Steve could see that she was in fact heading to the building next door to the motor pool. He didn't remember this building even being there when he was here for basic training. The plaque over the door labeled it as the Fabrication Shop.

Lorraine walked right up to the main passage door and began to punch in a couple of numbers on an old style keypad lock. He was about to call out to tell her that it was not going to work when the door clicked and she turned the knob opening it. The three of them stared a moment at each other curious about her entrance to the old building.

Stepping up to the door a few moments later, Steve took a careful look inside and found that some of the higher up windows were either cracked or missing, but there was enough light coming in to illuminate the interior. The main floor was a large open area with old empty workstations all around and a lot of grease and paint stains on the floor. One entire side wall of shelves was littered with scraps of different metals. The place looked like exactly like he would expect it to after being abandoned for so many years.

And he had no idea why Lorraine was in here.

"Lorraine, where are you going?" he called out as she continued to steadily walk through the area until she disappeared inside of group of smaller rooms, probably offices or storage areas near the far back.

"I said go away!" her voice reverberated loudly in the large metal cavity surrounding them.

"Rainedrop, get out here right now!" Bucky then strongly demanded of her as he hastily moved towards the office door she had disappeared into.

"Put an egg in your shoe and beat it!" they heard her angrily yell before the sound of a metal door slamming shut echoed throughout the entire building.

Putting on a bit of speed, both him and Bucky headed into the enclosed office room. They found that Lorraine had disappeared into heavy metal door that had been hidden behind a bookcase, reminding him of how the elevator to Zola's computer brain had been hidden. Seeing another keypad just like that one from months ago, he had no idea how to access it to wherever Lorraine had gone. Nat had been able to hack into the panel but he had no idea how to do that. He was guessing that neither Bucky or Sam had that capability either.

"Great, you lost her," Sam had to sarcastically comment from the open doorway. "So _now_ what?"

"I open the door," Bucky then said he examined the door for a moment before smashing his metal fist into the side near the frame. The metal didn't even dent telling them that it was very thick. After a few more punches, Bucky gave up for a few moments, reconsidering his strategy.

Thinking back to what Maria had told him about how Lorraine got out of the Triskelion, Steve pulled out his phone.

"I have an idea," he said calling Maria. They had talked earlier about this morning's road trip and after giving a brief rundown of what was currently happening, Maria was able to give him the numerical code that Lorraine had used yesterday. Punching it in the keypad, they all heard the sound of the lock disengaging. "It worked. Maria, there is no telling what might be still located here. Give us a little while to calm Lorraine down and I'll call you back to let you know what we find."

" _I'll have a clean-up crew start to prep to come and retrieve anything that still might be there. If you don't call back in 10 minutes, we're heading there thinking the worst_ ," she informed him.

"10 minutes," he agreed hanging up.

The three of them saw a set of concrete stairs heading downward with a single ceiling light only on at the bottom. Cautiously, they headed in listening for any sound from Lorraine, but there was none. Reaching the bottom, the hallway split left and right. Bucky pointed out her footprints in the thin dust covering the floor heading to the left that she had left minutes ago so they followed them. After only a few turns, they found her tracks entering into a closed door. It looked like a simple metal door, one that Bucky was now raising his fist to punch through.

Steve put his hand on his shoulder to stop him, then reached out and turned the knob.

Swinging the unlocked door open, Steve told him, "Why don't you try checking first next time?"

"Show off," Bucky mumbled under his breath.

Cracking it open, they were surprised to find a fully furnished apartment. Except for not having any windows it looked like something out of the late sixties. Stepping inside, they saw that there was a layer of dust over every surface from the kitchen to the living area. The appliances had small areas of rust after so long and he noticed that sections of the tile ceiling had fallen down probably due to age. A few of the small knickknacks on shelves were tipped over. Steve wondered if it had been from the missile's shock wave.

Hearing a noise, they all turned towards another door down a small hallway, the only other area with a light on. This apartment location had power just as Zola's computer had. Just before they got to the open door, an old bed sheet was tossed from inside the room onto the hall's dirty floor. Looking into where it had come from they found a small bedroom which was decorated in a feminine style, bright yellow walls with pictures of flowers hanging on them. White wood shelves held old toys and book on them, also covered with dust.

Lorraine had stripped the sheets off of the twin bed that was inside and was now putting on cleaner ones that had been folded for all this time from an open closet.

" _What_ are you doing?" Bucky asked still sounding angry, but she did just leave _then_ tried to lock them out.

Turning around, Lorraine actually seemed surprised to see them there.

"Get out of my house!" she yelled at them while pointing toward the apartment door.

"Rainedrop…" was as far as Bucky got before he found a bed pillow thrown at his head, the impact stirring up a cloud of dust.

"Don't you _dare_ call me that! I'm not a _child_ anymore!"

"Well, considering the _temper tantrum_ you are throwing right now, I would disagree," Bucky jibed back at her tossing the pillow to the ground at her feet.

Steve watched as her eyes narrowed in anger.

"I am _not_ throwing a temper tantrum! This is me being _upset_ at having my home invaded by the _enemy_!"

" _We_ are _not_ the _enemy_!" Bucky yelled back at her, definitely not helping to calm the situation.

With a finger directed pointed at Bucky, " _You_ have been compromised and _hate_ _me_!"

Turning the finger on him, " _You_ killed my uncle!"

Then moving on to Sam at the far back, Lorraine hesitated for only a moment, "I don't really know you…but you're friends with Steve, so you are the enemy _too_!"

"And here I was thinking I was one of the _good_ guys," Sam's voice sounded playful, probably trying to cool her temper down.

"All of you _get_ out of my room, _get_ out of my house, leave me alone and _never_ come back!" she screamed at them as the tears started to swell up in her reddening eyes. Her entire body was starting to slightly shake and Steve worried that she may collapse again.

Steve could visibly see a change is Bucky's posture, a minuscule slumping of his shoulders probably from realizing he had yelled at her again.

Taking a large step into the room towards her, Bucky firmly but calmly informed her, "I'm _not_ leaving you down here."

"Why not? You _hate_ me! _All_ of you do!"

Slowing continuing towards Lorraine, when Bucky was close enough, she pushed on his chest to try and move him back away from her, but he wasn't going anywhere. When her small fists struck out at him, Bucky caught her hands in his and pulled her into an embrace as she struggled to free herself. She was at least half a foot shorter than Bucky and looked to barely weigh over a hundred pounds. Lorraine was _not_ going to win this contest.

After a few moments of realizing that he was not going anywhere, she stopped fighting him and let him hold her as she broke down again. Bucky held onto her as she cried, and Steve was glad that he was at least trying to be there for her.

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he turned to Sam who nodded towards the den area. Pulling the door closed behind the two of them, he knew that they were going to need some time together alone to talk.

"While he hopefully manages to calm her down, let's get a quick look around so we know what we are dealing with before Hill calls back paranoid from not hearing from us," Steve told him as they reached the den.

"I'll look around here and in this area while you head back the way we came so you can call Maria," Sam offered up.

"Don't forget that this was a secret Hydra location so be careful and try not to touch or activate anything. There's no telling what Zola was working on down here," Steve told him as he went to head back towards the stairs.

"As if I wasn't already worried enough," Sam told him as they split up.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : I wanted to say hello to the followers and thanks to everyone who has posted reviews. I hope that you continue to enjoy the story as it develops.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter Seven**_

Raine hated the way she felt wrapped in Bucky Bear's arms...warm and safe like she had always imagined it would be.

But it was a lie.

All of it had been.

Maybe not a _lie_ , but an unforeseen outcome.

Uncle Arnim had been so _sure_ of Hydra's success that their failure and defeat had _not_ been something she had ever been prepared for. He had never even told her of this being a possibility.

Now she was trapped with Shield, the people she had been raised to believe would hurt and kill her. There was nobody left for her to trust. And even though he seemed to care a little about her at this moment, even Bucky Bear was not who she had always been led to believe he was. Was it possible that what he had yelled at her last night was the truth?

He had moved to them sit down on the bed without letting her go. Her own arms were wrapped around herself and she felt like she was trying to physically hold herself together…and failing miserably. It was becoming too much for her to deal with again. Discovering the crater where she believed her uncle was going to be waiting for her, seeing their apartment abandoned, finding her bedroom that she had grown up in filthy…she just wanted all of the hurt and pain to stop. The tears continued to flow and her body ached from the uncontrollable shaking.

"Raine," his voice was so soft and calm, reminding her of how he had sounded all those years ago. " _I_ don't hate you. _None_ of us do. We hate the fact that you have been _lied to_ your _entire_ life. We hate that your uncle lied and _tricked_ you into helping him."

"He didn't…he wouldn't," she weakly tried to argue.

"But he did, Raine," he said calling her again by her more adult name. She already missed not hearing Rainedrop from his lips. "After talking with Steve last night I realized that because you were so young that I never tried to explain what I was going through at that time. I never told you that I was a prisoner. I never explained the tortures they were putting me through. Being an adult, I took for granted that you would understand those things…and you didn't. I'm sorry that I didn't try to make you see the truth then. Because of that, your uncle was able to twist the reasons that I was there to fit his own story for you."

There was no mistaking the sincerity of his voice. It was just so hard to hear it considering the words that were being spoken. Was he really telling the truth? But, why would he lie about something like that? She now understood that only a prisoner would be in a cell, and as he had yelled that at her last night Raine realized that was exactly where she had found him. All those times she had found him crying, she'd never asked _why_ he had been. Was everything that she had learned of since waking up been the truth?

"Did my uncle really try to have all of those people killed?"

With her head resting against his chest, she could feel him taking a deep breath.

"Yes. Project Insight would have devastated this country like nothing else ever had. Anyone Hydra deemed a threat to them would have been killed, the area around them being destroyed and taking out anyone else nearby. Millions would have died."

"Why were they a threat?" she asked trying to understand the logic behind such an act.

"Some only because they would _eventually become_ a threat. Steve told me that they were targeting a lot of smart people who could one day discover and bring Hydra down. Anyone that they felt they could not easily control would die so that they could enslave the remaining people. Steve was on that list, as well as a couple of friends of his. Even Sam would have been killed due to his being near Steve."

Uncle Arnim had always told her that evil people needed to be killed so that good people were able to live their lives without having to do that type of act. That was why Bucky Bear was needed to be the Fist of Hydra. To take out the evil that Hydra found. So, what had Hydra used him for while she slept?

Trying to sit up a bit, he released his hold on her and she regretted the loss instantly. Facing away from him and wiping the tears from her eyes, Raine knew that she probably looked a sight right now.

"You went on missions for Hydra, right?"

"Yes, I did," he told her.

"Then tell me about some of the people that you killed. Who were they and why were they a target?"

"Raine, I'm _not_ going to…"

Looking him right in the eyes, the informed him, "If you _don't_ tell me, then I have no reason to think that you are nothing more than _compromised!_ "

His eyes narrowed at her hearing that. There was no mistaking the tenseness that his body now possessed at her request. Bucky Bear stood up and opened the door a crack, looked outside then closed it back. He wanted to make sure they were really alone. Was he trying to protect Steve from hearing about what he had done?

"There were politicians that Hydra wanted gone because they were in the way. One led a committee that was trying to keep the government from going to war with a small country. But Hydra needed the natural resources from there so he was eliminated and his replacement voted the way Hydra wanted. Another was a doctor that had just created a medical breakthrough with a new drug. It would cure hundreds of thousands afflicted with an ailment. But Hydra wanted to keep the research for themselves, not only profiting from it but only distributing it to those they deemed worthy."

Raine dropped her head a bit at hearing that. Hydra was supposed to help save people from the corrupt, not be one of them.

"One of the worst has to be when they sent me out to retrieve a case…from an old friend of mine."

"You knew your target?"

"Yes, we worked and fought together during the war, along with Steve. Howard was his name, as well as his wife Maria. I was ordered to kill them and bring back the case he had with him."

No…it couldn't be the same family she knew, could it?

"Do you remember if they had a small son named Anthony?" she hesitantly asked not really wanting the answer.

His questioning eyes came to her, probably wondering how she would know that.

"Yes, he's friends with Steve now."

Raine dropped her head again as she recalled the times she had played with and babysat the small boy she called her 'Little Grease Monkey'. He had been one of the reasons she had stayed awake after her uncle died. Being friends with him reminder her so much of how she had met Bucky. There should have been no reason for Hydra to want such a kind woman as his mother dead. Maria never would have been a threat to them.

"How do you know about them?" Bucky Bear asked her coming to stand too close.

"I met them here when I was woke up as my uncle was dying. Even being sick, Uncle Arnim was still working on other projects and sometimes I would have to get things created for him from the fabrication shop upstairs. One night, I went up to get a part for him and I found a little two year old boy at one of the worktables building a small robot from an Erector Set. Mr. Jarvis, his butler was sitting in one of the offices reading a book. I asked Tony what he was doing and he said that since his daddy was working late, that he was making a friend to play with."

"What did you tell them about who you were?"

"I explained that I was Arnim's niece who was there to take care of him since he was sick. Besides, it was the truth. I had no reason to lie to them. Everyone knew that he worked for Shield, so they didn't bother questioning me."

"What happened then?"

"For the next few months, Tony's dad worked on his projects while my uncle completed his. Tony would come here to make his mechanical toys and I would come up and play with him, just like you did with me. I would babysit him sometimes when his mother or Mr. Jarvis needed to run errands. After my uncle died, I stayed here for two years to help us catch up a bit in age before going back to sleep."

Bucky Bear then sat down next to her, so close that their hips were touching. Her hand twitched wanting to reach out and take his smooth metal one into hers.

"You lived down here alone for two years?" he ask so she simply nodded. He didn't look happy learning that. "Hydra has hurt the both of us in different ways. I'm sorry that I even mentioned them to you. If I had any idea that you knew them…"

"I want to know. If I really have been lied to, then I only want the truth told to me now. I don't care how bad it is."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before he spoke again.

"Raine, why did you come down here?"

"This is where we lived after coming to America. Once it was time to send you on missions, my uncle came here to work for Shield. He brought me with him. Except for the base where we were, this is the only other home I've ever known."

"How did you…with the cyro…" he tried to ask her, thinking she knew what he wanted to know.

"I was only in my cryo chamber for a couple of months at a time for a while. My uncle told everyone that I was away at school. He would work on new technology for it and kept perfecting it, as he called it. During the times I was awake, a lot of people had either moved on so I was new to them or the ones who knew me often commented about how young I still appeared."

"Do you have any idea how old you really are now?" he asked her.

Standing up, she lifted the edge of the mattress and slid her arm a long way underneath. Feeling her hands around the leather book, she smiled at knowing it was still there.

"I kept track of it in my diary," she told him sitting back down. Flipping towards the back where a page was earmarked, she showed him the list of dates. "These are the times that I was awake. This column adds them up, so as of the last time I went to sleep, I was only three months shy of turning twenty-five."

"So you only aged twenty-four years over the course of thirty-four years," he worked out.

"Almost twenty-five," she smiled while nudging her shoulder into his left one, "Don't cheat me out of those months."

Bucky Bear grinned over at her, "Dames usually don't want to be thought of as older."

"Well to me every month counts," she pointed out wondering he he realized that it was because she wanted him to see her as grown up.

"You didn't mind missing out on all of the changes happening around you?"

"Not really. At first I slept for shorter times so a lot of stuff was still familiar. But after my uncle died, the plan was to wake me up every couple of years for a few months to learn about new inventions over time. My uncle didn't want too long to go by and there be too great of a gap for me to be able to deal with. Which is exactly what happened to me."

"You said that you didn't go back under until after your uncle died. How did you do that? Who helped you?" he turned to ask her. "And how did you get inside of the Triskelion? It wasn't built back then, was it?"

It didn't sound like he was still mad or upset with her, and with Hydra seeming to be gone, what would be the harm in telling him the truth.

"No, I didn't get moved there until after it was build. It was the Hydra agent that was assigned to be my handler who worked inside of Shield who moved me. He was being groomed by Hydra command for a leadership role one day…Alexander Pierce."

"What?!" with that single word he was suddenly very angry again. Bucky Bear then stood up and grabbed a hold of her hand, dragging her from the room, through the den, and into the hallway before yelling, "Steve! Sam!"

Only a few moments later, the sound of heavy footsteps sounded from both sides of them. Steve came from the direction of her uncle's workshop and Sam was further into the laundry and storage area.

"What is it?" Steve asked rounding the corner and spotting them waiting.

"You're going to want to hear this," he said leading her back inside. Once they were all sitting down in the den, Bucky Bear told them, "I asked Raine how once her uncle had died how she had she gotten back into the cryo chamber and inside of the Triskelion. The Hydra agent that was assigned to be her handler was Pierce."

"What?" Steve sounded as stunned as Bucky Bear had been. "Are you sure?"

"Why would I have forgotten something like that? I only saw him two days ago," she could see that all three of them hadn't thought about the time difference when it came to her being asleep. "He was the one assigned to look over me for those two years after my uncle died, and he did, but Pierce was also the one who was supposed to wake me up for training. You know of him?"

"Pierce not only was a high ranking leader in Hydra, but he was also the one in charge of Project Insight. During all that happened, he became in charge of Shield for a short while, also ordering my death, which is what led to your uncle's," Steve informed her. "So Pierce _knew_ about you being inside of the Triskelion because he put you there. Did anyone else know about you?"

"I don't know. Maybe the Hydra agents that he had move my chamber into the building once it was completed. He had others that worked with him, but my uncle assigned me to him saying to trust him when I was woken up…that he would never be corrupted and always loyal to Hydra."

"Well, he was. All the way to the end," Steve told her.

"Raine, Pierce was the one in charge of me once I was transferred to the American branch of Hydra. When Steve and I fought on the street, he recognized me and said my name. It started my mind to almost recall him. So when I mentioned knowing Steve, it was Pierce that ordered my mind to be wiped cleaned by the Chair. He was trying to erase Steve and any memory of him that may have come back to me."

"So if he was still around, why didn't he wake me up like he was supposed to?" she asked but none of them had a ready answer.

"We don't know," Steve finally told her. "But for whatever reason, he didn't. From what we do know, the room looked like it was updated in the early eighties but then never used. We may never know why since he's dead now. But he left you there frozen for forty years. And I would guess that he intended to leave you there a lot longer."

Raine really did not like hearing that. Her Hydra handler had betrayed her and her uncle for some reason. One of only two people she was supposed to have been able to trust.

"Lorraine, we found a lot of things down here. Some of them look like they could be dangerous. Was all of this your uncles?" Steve asked her to which she only nodded. "Shield is on the way here now to collect them and take them back to the Triskelion to study."

"And what about me? Can I just stay here?" she asked hopeful.

"Why would you want to stay here?" Sam then asked her.

"This is my home. Ever since I was twelve. All of my belongings are here. I won't disturb anyone."

The three faces all sadly staring at her did not give Raine a good feeling.

Bucky Bear was the one to break the bad news to her, "Raine, there is no way we are going to leave you down here to live. You are coming back with us to the apartment next to Steve's. I'll stay there on the couch with you for a while so that you are not alone."

Deciding to be a bit forward and take the chance, "You don't have to sleep on the couch."

"Yes, I do. Raine, I know what you expected from me, how you may feel about me right now, but…I don't feel the same way towards you. We are not…going to be together."

Hearing those words shattered a small piece of her soul. He didn't love her. And it sounded like he was confident that he never would. She was going to be alone in this strange world. What was she supposed to do now? All her training had been for learning how to be a wife, to care for someone. If she wasn't going to be with her Bucky Bear, then what was she supposed to do?

Realizing that he had continued talking about the apartment next to Steve's she turned her attention back to him.

"…you'll stay there unless something changes."

"But I don't know that place," she told him still hating the idea of leaving here. Here she knew, there was a strange place.

"You'll come to know it," Sam told her with a warm smile. "You were supposed to learn how to use new technology. Being there, we can help you with that…to get you comfortable with today's world. Besides, maybe you're a quicker learner than Steve? And wouldn't it be nice to have windows?"

Steve gave Sam an elbow to the side for his jest. Raine did have to smile at thinking about windows. Not being able to see outside was the only complaint she had ever given to her uncle.

"Come on, let's go wait on the surface for the others to get here," Steve told her.

"Can I bring some of my things with me?" she asked hoping they would at least allow that.

"Sure," Bucky Bear told her. "Let's go pack whatever you want."

He stood and then offered his hand to help her up before they headed down the hallway.

* * *

"So, what do you make of all of that?" he asked Steve as the two of them headed towards the stairs upwards.

"I'm not sure. I never would have guess that Pierce had any knowledge of Lorraine, even with her being in the Triskelion. But when you think about it, he was in the perfect position to have her disappear."

Sam thought that over for a moment.

"But why would he want her to?"

Steve didn't have an answer for him.

"Lorraine says that she was supposed to be there for the next step in Project Winter Soldier, once Bucky was to remain awake to train other super-soldiers. But it seems that Pierce wasn't going in that direction anymore. He intended Project Insight to give him the control that Hydra wanted. At that point, Bucky may have become unnecessary…which means that Lorraine definitely would have been."

"So he decided to just leave her there buried under the Triskelion and never wake her up. To let her just continue to sleep," he offered as they heard the sound of a Quinjet coming close.

"It would seem so," Steve told him. "But remember, Pierce was supposed to wake her in the eighties and he didn't. It seems that he decided early on for some reason not to."

"I feel sorry for her," Sam admitted aloud, to which Steve only nodded. "She's going to need a lot of help, and not only the kind to help her overcome the brainwashing that was done to her. She's going to have to get used to the modern world, just like you did, and probably how Bucky might still be trying to do."

Watching the Quinjet land, Steve told him, "Her entire existence revolved around learning to take care of Bucky, to be there in every way that a wife would be."

Sam knew how his face probably looked at hearing that.

" _That's_ why she just asked him…she expected the two of them to…you know?"

"Yes. It sounded like she still did," Steve shrugged his shoulders. "But Bucky told me last night that it was not an option, just as he told her."

"You are going to be having a lot of interesting times very soon," he joked wondering how the two out-of-time gentlemen would deal with Lorraine.

"Well, let's deal with something easy like that laboratory of Zola's experiments and then worry about the rest of it later," he said as the clean-up crew started to file out of the jet and head towards them.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter Eight**_

Bucky helped Steve to carry the wooden box, more cumbersome than heavy, of Rainedrop's belongings up the stairs for her. They were heading to the apartment that he guess the two of them would be sharing for the foreseen future. There had not been a lot of things still good of hers after so many years. She had been a bit upset at finding her familiar clothes were able to disintegrate with a simple touch. The leather of her shoes were dried out and cracked. Books had small bugs living in them.

And she was too old for the toys.

Toys...another reminder that she was a grown woman. It had been fairly obvious as he'd held her in his arms while she cried in her bedroom. Bucky pushed that thought away again for the umpteenth time. He couldn't think of her like that. Right?

But it was the item they were carrying in that cedar chest that brought him more than a bit of unease…Rainedrop's Hope Chest. Through the years, Rainedrop had been collecting and making items thinking that she would be furnishing their joined home with them. And in a strange way, she would be but not as she had hoped. Inside was her personal cookbook, a lace tablecloth someone had given her, and an apron she had made herself.

Then there were the two delicate fancy floral tea cups and saucers. Steve and Sam had already started taunting him about making sure he held his pinky finger out while drinking from it. Bucky knew that was not going to stop anytime soon.

Rainedrop also found that her small box of photos had endured. They were mostly of her growing up through the years, usually with her uncle by her side. Seeing his smiling face next to hers made him want to rip them up. But in every one of them, Rainedrop looked happy. He didn't understand how the same man could have such different effects on the two of them at the same time.

Zola would prod at his arm and rip at his mind during the day before returning home to read bedtime stories to Rainedrop. Exactly how twisted was that annoying wormy little man?

At the very bottom was a large, thick, brown cardboard box that she looked very anxious about the contents of. But Rainedrop had kicked him out of her room before even opening it up to check whatever item was inside. But from the happy squeal she had given, whatever she found must have pleased her.

He was glad that at least something from all of this made her feel that way. He liked seeing her happy. And with everything she had gone through, and would still go through, she needed someone...him...to be there for her. To help her understand, to hold her when she couldn't.

Bucky's mind wandered again about how he had held Rainedrop after her outburst, with her in his arms, and it had made him uncomfortable in a way that he would never be able to describe. She felt so frail in his arms that he just wanted to keep holding her, protecting her from discovering anything else that would cause her pain. But at the same time, there had been something stirring in him that he had not felt since before the war.

Maybe that was not right as he considered it…he may have _wanted_ to feel that way but never had.

Glancing up past Steve, he watched Rainedrop walking up the stairs thinking that maybe it was good she was not right next to him. But then she turned on the landing and caught him glaring at her. Her cheeks turned pink in the instant she turned away.

There was a small, nice ache in his chest at seeing that blush given to him. This was not good.

Holding her as he had, Bucky began to comprehend that it was a woman's body in his arms, not the small girl who he taught tongue twisters to. He had told Steve that Rainedrop had grown up so quick in his eyes but now he was beginning to comprehend exactly what that meant. Bucky wasn't just looking out for a child as his mind still partially considered her. Over the next few weeks he would be living with a woman…something he had never done even before the war.

Could he do this and push down the feelings that were trying to come through?

Reaching the apartment door, he and Steve made their way to the bedroom to put the box at the foot of the bed. Sam had left them at the street to go and pick up food to bring back since it was now past lunchtime.

"I'll go clean up next door so we can talk as we eat," Steve told them while turning to leave so that there was no way to argue with him.

That left the two of them alone again. How was he going to be able to do this for weeks? Months?

Rainedrop walked over to the shades he had pulled back down before they had left this morning and without a worry about the action lifted one up.

"Stop that!" he told her, coming over and yanking it towards the floor.

"Why? I want to see outside," she firmly stated and lifting it up again.

"It's not safe," he said a bit more forcefully pulling it back downward.

There was a narrow coldness in her eyes at him now, "From who? Hydra? From what I've been told, there's no reason for that to be a problem. Besides, it's not _my problem_ if they _are_ still around."

" _Really_?" he angrily asked but a bit amused that she was arguing with him about this.

" _I'm_ not the one they would be _mad_ at," she pointed out with a smirk and then lifting the shade again.

Grinding his teeth together, Bucky decided to leave it open if only to prove to her that he was not really worried about Hydra finding them. He had been watching out for the Punk, waiting for Hydra to come after him for revealing their secret, and they never had. But most of his ease was due to the discussion he had with Steve and Sam about the many missions he had been on to take them down after the computer file dump. With a lot of agencies now knowing who and what to look for, Hydra was on the run. There wasn't anyone left in the upper command structure that worried Bucky, and none that knew the truth about him. He had been trained well and would use that to keep him, and Rainedrop, safe if need be.

Walking down the row of windows, Rainedrop happily raised them up and with each one being opened to expose them, it grated on his nerves just enough, but he managed to not say anything about it. Was she doing this on purpose, he wondered?

Turning around, she began to examine the television mounted on the wall over a small set of built-in shelves.

"Bucky Bear, what is this? Steve has one too," she asked running her hands down the side while trying to look behind it.

"A television set," he answered moving to sit at the kitchen island since he had no idea what else to do.

"It can't be," her face was now shoved between it and the wall, and with her prodding at it, she managed to pull it slight outward since it was on a swing arm. "Look, it's so thin!"

He couldn't help but feel a warm calmness come over him at seeing the happy expression she wore.

"I don't see any knobs. How do you turn it on?" she asked turning to look at him.

"The remote is on the coffee table."

"Remote?" she asked to which made him think about how much she really had missed. He'd learned through the years how to deal with technology so that he could access alarm systems or computers when the mission called for it.

Standing up, he walked over and pushed the television back against the wall before taking her soft hand to lead her over to the couch. Sitting them both down next to each other so their legs touched, he thought it a bad idea a moment too late. Picking up the remote, he held it before her as she examined the numerous buttons.

"This one," he said tapping it with his thumb, "turns it on."

The sound from the station it was set to caught her attention as the picture came on. Rainedrop then moved over so that she was once again standing right up at the screen, her hand running over it.

"The people look like they could be in the room," her voice sounded so soft to him.

"Unfortunately you have missed a lot. Not only is there going to be a lot of better quality technologies that you have seen before, like the television, but there's a lot of new things that you'll never have even considered being created."

Turning back to him, she asked, "You learned about this type of technology for your missions, didn't you?"

He nodded, and he saw a small frown on her lips before she turned away. After a few moments, she walked back over and he then explained the different buttons before handing it over for her to play with.

And that was what Rainedrop did until he heard footsteps coming up the stairs which the apartment wrapped around. It gave him a smile to realized that Agent 13 would always have heard Steve's comings and goings.

There was a knock on Steve's door, and not long after, one on theirs. Rainedrop popped up from the couch running to answer it, brushing her skirt and straighten her top to make her presentable before she did. He smiled at the strange simple gesture. Even knowing who was there, she was excited at the visit.

"Hi, Steve," her voice was much happier now than it had been all day.

Rainedrop and Steve had talked for a bit on the way back in further detail about Project Insight and what had happened with her Uncle Arnim. After hearing in more detail about what Steve had stopped from happening, Raine had apologized for not only shooting at him yesterday but also for calling him a liar. Bucky had also reminded her that this was the little Stevie from his stories that she always enjoyed hearing about. Considering him as more as being Stevie than Captain America, it seem that Rainedrop was finally past any fear she had of him.

"Hi, Lorraine. Are the two of you ready for lunch?" he asked looking over at him sitting on the couch.

"Yes," she had a small bounce in her posture. Hopefully with now knowing that none of them were not angry at her, and that they had not been lying about her uncle being gone, she seemed to have started accepting the changes she was about to face.

Steve smiled at her and then offered his arm to escort her, and it bristled him a bit when she accepted with a smile. He didn't like seeing her standing next to anyone…else. Following, he closed the door as they headed over to Steve's, five feet away. Opening the door for her, she walked inside as Steve blocked him for a moment once she was out of sight.

"Are you alright?" Steve asked him.

"Fine. Why?"

"You seemed a bit upset a few moments ago. Did something happen?"

"It's nothing, Punk," he tried to sound jovial.

Steve seemed to accept his answer before they walked inside. Sam and Lorraine were discussing how take-out food worked nowadays compared to what she remembered. For the first part of the meal, Lorraine quizzed Sam and Steve on different restaurants finding that there were still a few around that she knew of fast-food chains. But then when the discussion moved to cooking at home, that brought up a concern for her.

"Even though Shield is letting me stay next door, how am I supposed to actually live there?" she asked Steve before biting into the large salad she had requested.

"What do you mean?" Steve asked.

"Well, I don't think I can get a job, and…" she then looked over at him.

"Raine, when I got free of Hydra, I raided a couple of their safe houses and stockpile locations around us in the surrounding cities. For the immediate future, I have enough money to take care of anything that you will need. Actually, we need to look at getting you some new clothes today."

"Clothes?" he could see a sparkle in her eye.

So she was still a normal female under all of the Hydra conditioning it seemed.

"Yes, there was almost nothing still good in your old apartment," he told her then turning to Steve and Sam who were across from them at the table. "Would either of you know where to go and get her some stuff?"

"That's not a problem, but what's your own situation when it comes to clothes?" Steve asked him taking a bite of his sandwich.

"I have three sets, including the one I'm wearing," he admitted.

"Looks like we're taking a trip to the mall," Sam stated. "There's plenty of places for both of you to get what you need."

"Since Lorraine is the only female of our group, how about I call Natasha and see if she would like to join us?" Steve offered up, sending a small panic through him. The last time they had met, he'd put a bullet through her shoulder, and she'd fired a small rocket at him.

"I don't know about that…" he started before Steve stopped him by lifting his hand up, knowing what he was worried about.

"Nat understands what happened and knows it wasn't really you. And I think that Lorraine needs at least one female to talk to. I'll see if Maria can also stop by sometimes," he explained turning to Rainedrop, "And given the classified history around you, when you meet someone new you'll have to give them a story that Shield will furnish."

Thinking about how Rainedrop _would_ need females friends, he nodded his head in agreement hoping that he was right about Natasha.

"Is there a supermarket nearby?" Rainedrop then asked.

"Yes, within walking distance," Steve offered and she got a wide smile on her face.

"How about a library?"

Sam and Steve looked at each other for a moment as Sam asked, "Why do you need a library?"

"I want to see about looking through a couple of recent cookbooks and copying down a few new recipes."

"I think that you are going to like the cooking channel and e-readers," Sam then smiled at her. "We'll add it to the list and get you one while we are out."

"What does an e-reader do?" she asked.

"Think of having almost every book ever written accessible in your hands in a matter of seconds," he told her, making her eyes go wide.

"Really?" she happily asked with a smile that warmed a bit of his chest.

The final part of their meal was explaining a bit more about e-readers, cable television with hundreds of channels, cellular phones, and modern day computers. By the time that they were ready to leave, Rainedrop was extremely eager for the shopping trip.

* * *

" _How are the two of you doing_?" Steve asked her over the cell as she waited just outside of the changing room where Raine was trying on a handful of clothes.

"Are you always this much of a worrywart, Rogers?" Nat asked him scanning the area for any sign of trouble.

" _I have a very nervous ex-assassin bugging me to keep checking in on a certain someone_ ," he explained.

"I thought you told me that they were just friends?" she asked.

" _I did, but that doesn't mean that he actually believes that, even if he won't admit it_ ," Steve hinted to her.

Hearing that gave her a sly smile. So that's how it was...

"Maybe I'll have to take her to a few special stores then. Tell him were fine, now leave us girls to shop," Natasha informed him before hanging up on Steve.

After getting Steve's call and listening to the explanation of what was going on, she had been more than curious and happy to meet Lorraine and go shopping with them. And so far she had not been disappointed. Starting their shopping trip with simple clothes, Raine, as she had introduces herself, had at first refused to even consider touching a pair of pants, jeans, or leggings. Hearing her state that 'good girls' wouldn't dress so provocatively had brought a genuine smile to her face.

It was almost as if she were talking with a female version of Steve right after waking up years ago.

Leading her inside of the first clothing store, Nat began an explanation of how fashion had changed since she had grown up a bit secluded in the fifties and sixties. Talking with her for a bit, her explanations of a couple of things made it sound like her Uncle Arnim was trying to keep her as the little girl he had raised. She had never even gone on a real date, Nat had learned. How innocent was Raine exactly? That would not be a topic for today.

But if Bucky really was hiding feelings like Steve alluded to, then maybe she could help Raine bring them out...if that was what she wanted.

"Natasha?" she heard from inside of the changing area, so she stepped inside.

"I'm here," she stopped just outside of the door to the room Raine occupied.

"I'm not sure about this outfit you chose," she called out.

"Let me see it," she requested and the door slowly opened.

Raine stood there in a pair of fitted jeans and a red blouse that hugged her curves perfectly.

"You look great. What do you think is wrong with it?" she asked.

"It's a bit tight… _everywhere_ ," and Nat could see the hesitation in her.

"You are fully covered, the jeans are not overly tight like some other skinny pairs are made to fit, and that top looks great on you."

Hearing her flattering words brought out a smile making Raine look even better. Nat decided right then to make their next stop the salon to do something about that dated hair style.

"Here," she said taking out her phone and snapping a quick picture, "let's see what the boys have to say."

Seconds after she had sent the shot, Steve responded to say that Raine looked very lovely and they should get that outfit.

"See, you have nothing to worry about. This is what everyone wears and you will fit in perfectly," Nat told her to which Raine finally nodded before heading back in to try on more items.

* * *

"What is she wearing?" Bucky's voice had a slightly harsh tone to it.

"Clothes," Steve answered not understanding why he sounded like that. "Why? She looks fine."

Seeing the narrowed stare aimed at him, Steve put the phone down from where he'd showed Bucky the shot Nat had sent. Lorraine looked like any other typical female he'd see on the street, but she also had a natural beauty that many didn't possess.

"She's too…she can't look like that," Bucky managed to get out.

Sam was able to respond before he could, "Are you worried that she's going to catch some other guy's eye?"

"Watch it, Wilson," Bucky's finger pointed at him.

"Buck, you are sounding jealous," he told him. "You've said multiple times that you were _not_ _interest_ in Lorraine."

"I'm not, and you heard me tell her as much earlier today when we were in the bunker after her breakdown," Bucky told them, tossing the dark colored shirts onto the counter.

He wondered how Lorraine had actually handled hearing that. She hadn't said anything aloud but he was sure that inside she was in turmoil. Being with Bucky had been the one thing she had always looked forward to.

"Then what is your problem?" Sam asked with too much delight in his voice.

"I don't have a problem," he firmly stated as the cashier began to rang up the purchases.

There was a knowing smile that he and Sam shared with each other behind his back.

Steve had a feeling that Sam understood the situation just as he did. Bucky may say that he didn't have feelings for Lorraine but his attitude just now reflected something entirely different. Maybe he had been right and that after spending some time with her that Bucky may change his decision about them being together.

After a couple of hours occupied with stopping at a few more stores for necessities, they headed towards the meeting spot that he had prearranged with Natasha. He noticed that Bucky's shirts usually consisted of long sleeves. But there was a chance that he would always have to hide the unique arm when out in public. It did not resemble any type of prosthetic that was available to the public. And considering where it had come from, the technology behind it was still more advanced than anything out there.

"Who is that?" Bucky growled out looking over the open area to the floor below.

Looking over the railing, he was able to spot Natasha off to the side checking her phone while Lorraine was sitting on a bench talking with two guys about her 'apparent' age standing before her. He could see a slight blush on her cheeks as they chatted. This was probably the first time in a long while that someone had taken an interest in her. Lorraine had changed into an outfit she and Nat had purchased. He noticed that her hair even looked a bit more modern guessing they had gone to the hair salon. It hung more loose and flowed more freely as if not weighted down by hairspray. She was definitely going to be attracting attention.

And it seemed that Bucky was already not liking that idea.

"It looks like Raine has some admirers," Sam sounded too happy at the situation. Maybe having the person who tried to kill him a bit irritated brought out some joy.

"Not for long, she doesn't," Bucky said turning to head towards the escalators.

Steve reached out and grabbed his arm, stopping him from interrupting them, "Buck, they are only talking. Besides, _you_ were the one who told Lorraine that you were _not interested_ in her. So, if that _is_ the case, then she has _every right_ to go out and find someone who _would_ be."

The look of anger that flashed over his face made Steve withdraw his hand that was still holding him in place. But even being free, Bucky didn't move towards the group. To Steve, there was no mistaking the jealously that Bucky was displaying. That was when his phone rang in his pocket. Picking it up Nat's name was on the ID.

" _One of you is not being very subtle_ ," Nat told him turning to look up at them standing above.

Taking a few steps away from Bucky, who was glaring down at Lorraine, "I've never known him to be subtle ever. But right now, he has no idea how to handle this. Even with _claiming_ that he doesn't have any feelings towards her, he is probably still protective of her. Maybe he still see the little girl, not the woman. Or maybe he does and doesn't know how to handle it yet."

" _Seeing him right now, that is_ _ **more**_ _than just protective_ ," Nat turned to look at the two guys and Lorraine.

"I agree, but I don't know if he understands that himself. We'll just have to keep a look out," he told her as Bucky kept glaring daggers into the guys' backs.

" _We're ready to leave if all of you are. Hopefully without an_ _ **incident**_ ," she said.

"How about you collect Lorraine and I'll keep Bucky a bit back until you separate them. We'll meet closer to the doors," he explained.

" _Give me two minutes before you come down. And if he gives you any trouble on the escalator, give him a kiss,_ " Nat cheekily informed him before hanging up the phone. Steve harshly glared over the railing at her where she was looking back up at him with a grin.

He watched as she then sauntered up to the group of three, working that charm she had perfected over a lifetimes worth of training. Moments later, one of the guys was pulling out his phone, probably to get Lorraine's number, but then he saw them probably explaining that she didn't have a cellphone. It would make the most sense to say she just moved to the area, but wondering what excuse Nat might give…besides just telling them to get lost.

The small group then broke up with Nat and Lorraine walking away towards the doors they had parked near. Once the guys had left in the other direction, he got Bucky's attention as he and Sam stepped around the corner to go down the escalator. They could easily see the girls ahead of them, Bucky's focus only on one of them in particular.

Reaching the doors, they stopped and turned, Lorraine giving a smile at seeing Bucky but then it disappeared as quickly as it had come, probably due to the scowl he had thanks to the earlier guys. She might even think that it was aimed at her.

Steve knew that she still had feelings for Bucky even if he didn't reciprocate…or at least said that he didn't. She had only been free of the cryo for a day, and even with learning the truth, it was going to take her a lot longer to get over Bucky than a few hours.

He wondered if she really needed to.

* * *

Maria Hill looked over the summary sheet of the items found in the underground laboratory of Arnim Zola. It seemed that in his dying days, he was trying to complete a lot of projects but had never been able to. The only one he had was the device to transfer his consciousness into the computer system that was now gone.

The list included numerous gadgets that she had no idea the use for since they had not been completed. Maria wondered if she were to ask Raine if she could, or would, tell them their use. Maybe after she had some time to adjust and understand that they were not the enemy she would agree to help them.

There was one thing on the list that gave her the most worry…listed for easy description by a technician as the Zola Bot. It seemed that Zola had one other backup plan in case his computer system did not work. It was an seven foot tall humanoid robot with a computer screen mounted in the torso. Preliminary examination of it found that the central memory core was too small of a capacity for the transfer of his mind, not to mention the power core battery being weaker than a modern cellphone.

Using the technology of his day, he had tried to give himself a humanoid body and it had, luckily, failed.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : The brown cardboard box of Raines does contain a special item that will be revealed in a later chapter. But you might be able to guess it considering it was in her hope chest.  
As for the Zola Bot, during CA:TFA movie when Zola is running from the room where Bucky was strapped down, you can see the blueprints he made for the Zola Bot before he grabbed them up.  
Thanks for the positive reviews and I hope that to keep hearing from you!


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter Nine**_

Lorraine stepped out of the hot shower, drying off with the fluffy towel. Her first shower in three days, or forty years depending on how she looked at it, lasted for over half an hour, and it had been wonderful. At the mall, there had been store that had sold nothing but different types of body products. Eventually she had found one that smelled just like sweet vanilla. Rubbing the lotion all over her body, it filled the small bathroom with the wonderful scent.

Reaching down, she slipped on the scandalous panties that she had purchased at the very provocative store that Nat had taken her into. That was where the silky pajama gown waiting for her had also come from. Back in her day, lingerie was tucked away at the far back where men couldn't see it. But now, the stores had scantily clad mannequins in their windows!

During the hours that she had been with Nat, they had taken a break from shopping and gotten coffees while talking for a bit about what she had been groomed for. Raine admitted to Nat about how Bucky Bear had outright told her that he would never be interested in her as a wife. Nat then asked her a couple of questions about what _she_ wanted, not what Hydra or even Bucky had wanted. That was something that nobody had ever asked her before.

By the end of the conversation, the simple answer that Raine had been able to give was that she wanted to love someone who would love her in return.

Nat had given her a knowing smile before starting to provide her with a lot of advice on guys, similar to what Mlle. Jacqueline had told her. Raine had been a bit skeptical with the clothes Nat had chosen for her but then as they waited for the guys to finish up, the two men had come over so that one of them could talk with her. She had never had males come up to her and so freely talk as the two of them had.

When she had gone out while growing up, her uncle always made sure that there was a Hydra agent with her wherever she went to keep her safe. She had seen other teenagers together but that had not been her. She believed that one day Bucky Bear would stand next to her, hold her hand, kiss her.

But not anymore. Now he always seemed to look at her with a scowl on his face.

Looking in the mirror now that she was dressed for bed, her face burned with embarrassment at the revealing outfit. There were straps that barely were the size of strings and the hem of the red nightgown was above her knees. After telling Nat that a good girl would not wear something so seductive, she had received a wide grin from her along with the response of "exactly". Considering that this is what any other modern man would probably expect a potential wife to wear, Raine figured that she would just have to get used to it. Slipping on the fuzzy bootie socks, she closed her eyes and just decided to try and figure out this era.

Opening the door to the bathroom, she walked into the kitchen to get a glass of milk before going to sleep. At least tonight, it was a voluntary action unlike the way she had embarrassingly passed out last night. The lights in the den were already off and she could make out the covered lump that was Bucky Bear's form lying on the couch.

Pouring the milk, she tried to be as quiet as she could be but she knew that there was no way he was asleep with someone moving around nearby. She knew how he had been trained. Until he sure that she was asleep, he would be awake.

Rinsing out the glass once she was done, Raine took her time drying it as she waited to see if he even acknowledged her presence by saying good night, but the apartment stayed quiet. Walking back towards the bathroom, she flipped the hall light off that had been shining into the kitchen for her to see by before stepping into the bedroom and closing the door behind her.

* * *

Bucky lay on the couch watching as Rainedrop walked into the kitchen wearing a short nightgown that hid practically nothing. He had to remind himself that the very feminine form he was staring at was not just any attractive dame but Rainedrop. For some reason, he was _sure_ that Natasha was behind _that_ purchase.

That was when the fragrant scent coming off of her reached him across the room. He had never smelled anything to inviting...and how he hated that it did.

She was trying to be quiet as she got her drink but even knowing that he was probably awake, Rainedrop never saying anything to him. Without a word to him, she turned the bathroom light off and closed the door behind her, shutting him out of the bedroom.

But that was what he wanted, right?

The only reason that she even wanted a relationship of any kind with him had been because of the lies she had been told. If her Uncle Arnim had been honest with her, Rainedrop would never have even considered him as a potential mate.

As he lay on the cold leather sofa alone, Bucky considered that in a way her uncle _had_ unfortunately been honest with her.

Rainedrop knew from a very young age _exactly_ what Hydra was training him for, what they were turning him into...an assassin. She may have been lied to as to the _reasons_ behind it, but she had accepted and prepared for the day she would be sharing a bed with a trained killer.

And she was not scare of him or that fact.

Today, there had been a few times when something had gotten to him, and he didn't want to admit why. Seeing her in the outfits that pointed out the fact that she was now a very beautiful grown woman, having her take Steve's arm to be at his side, the annoying boys talking with her… _flirting_ with her. He had wanted to jump over the railing and punch them in their hairless faces. There was no way that anyone like them would ever be able to protect her the way that he could.

He may have told her that he wasn't interest in her, but as today had showed him, other males would be. And that meant at some time in the future, he would not be there to protect her.

And that did not sit well with him at all.

* * *

Opening up the Triskelion's secured internal email as he arrived this morning for work, Shield Head of Research and Development Tim Harness found a confidential email from Maria Hill, listed as urgent.

 _Harness,_

 _I have an item confiscated from a recently discovered Hydra base being transferred to your section today. Item #6587598-Z is a priority project, level red confidentiality. Contact me only through secured email concerning this project._

 _Examine the Bot's existing components and prepare a detailed outline for necessary work to bring it into operation using modern advancements. Necessary upgrades include improved computer memory core with a multi-terabyte capacity as well as the battery power pack using the modified arc reactor core test design. I expect your initial outline for all upgrades and length of time necessary for completion within forty-eight hours._

 _Maria Hill_

Tim reread the email, confirmed that the security measures showed it being an internal email from her private office's computer. Pulling up the internal file on the item he gave it an cursory glance and then sat back in his chair. He was not sure why such an old outdated item need to be modernized, but Hill obviously had a reason for it.

Checking what two of his go-getters were working on, he decided to pull them for this higher level project.

* * *

 _ **Two Weeks Later**_

For most of the past two weeks, Bucky's life had become surreal in a way that he hated dreading.

The way he looked at it, living with Rainedrop for these weeks had been wonderful and pure torture rolled into one. If Hydra ever had needed a lesson on how to make him suffer, it would have been based on his forcing down to hide the affections that he wanted to shower Rainedrop with ever time she did some act of kindness for him.

Rainedrop had fallen into a routine of caring for him as she had been trained to, taking care of the apartment, and washing his clothes even with his protest. He noticed how she always made sure to have the chocolate cookies he liked around, the radio she had gotten always was on the only station that played music he grew up listening and dancing to, and every other day she would wash his blanket from the couch so it was fresh and fluffy.

The best for him and Steve was that Rainedrop was cooking them meals. Real food. No more fast food, gas station items, or having to steal Steve's leftovers. He was woken up daily by Rainedrop fixing coffee and breakfast for him, and usually Steve, with a smile on her face that made him ache inside. She was enjoying trying to cook new dishes and so far they had not been disappointed with anything she presented them with.

After telling her that she didn't need to, Rainedrop had responded that people needed to eat and that she wasn't about to let him try and cook. And he unfortunately knew that his skills at cooking dinner were leftover from during the depression when he and Steve would eat whatever food they were able to get their hands on. None of them wanted to go back to creamed chipped beef on toast or prune pudding. And since they were both a bit helpless in the kitchen, he and Steve made sure to help when it came to cleaning the dishes.

Every day there were small changes around the place: new pillows, soft blankets, table cloths, linen napkins. She was making the apartment feel more like a home...something he had not had in a very long time. Every time she went on walks around the neighborhood, Rainedrop would bring home some new thing that she had discovered.

But then there were those torturous responses to some of her actions that made his chest ache.

Every time she tried to walk close to him and hold his hand on the street, he pulled gently away to put space between them...a light ache. When she sat next to him at dinner, he made sure they were apart so her delicate foot couldn't touch his as she tried to sometimes do...a denser ache. And when she walked around in that red nightgown, he had to dig his fingernails into his palms to induce pain to pull his mind away from what his body craved to do to her...a grievous ache.

Then there were the times that she would come to him with a question about something she'd learned of. Rainedrop would sit right next to him as she showed him a picture of an item, or an event that had happened which she wanted to see if he would know about and tell her of. He always made sure to stop himself from brushing the loose hairs away from her face or seeing how soft her skin now was after her nightly lotion ritual. Those times were the hardest.

Sam would come over daily and Rainedrop would spend hours with him either in the apartment discussing stuff she had missed or they would go out together to get her acclimated to the world around her now. Steve would usually join them, using the learning times to run his own errands. They had asked him to join them on the trips out, and there had been a few which he had gone on.

But after spending too much time with Rainedrop, there were days when his resolve broke a little more than others making him need some space. That meant following the group at a distance instead of being with them to make sure she was safe. He trusted Steve to watch out for Rainedrop but he needed to know for himself. And he still didn't fully understand how he was going to deal with feeling the things he did for her.

Steve had cornered him twice after they had eaten dinner next door at his place for a talk after she had gone back to their place. Both times Steve would bring up his jealous attitude towards her when they had been out earlier those days. Of course one of those times had been when Rainedrop had asked Sam questions about how couples met nowadays and modern dates and unfortunately that _traitor_ Sam had not hesitated to help her.

Knowing why Rainedrop was possibly asking about dating brought up a feeling that he did not enjoy dealing with. She was already trying to figure out how to move ahead with her life…without him.

Which, he had to _keep_ reminding himself, was what he told her to do.

Bucky was sure that being with Rainedrop for too long that his suffering was only going to get worse.

Yes, living with this delightful female was one of the worst tortures he'd ever had to endure.

Now, it was early morning and he'd had another restless night after watching a young man chat with her at the coffee shop down the street. She had gone out by herself to go to the flower shop down the street for a bouquet to go on the end of the bar. Every few days when the previous bunch wilted Rainedrop would get more. She always had a beautiful smile on her face as she arranged them, so he had no complaints to the pointless purchase.

But as he followed far behind her on the street, she had stopped for hot chocolate with extra marshmallows. Sitting at the table alone, the hairless faced boy from the table next to her started up a conversation. Feeling a desirous nature over her that he shouldn't have, Bucky had almost gone inside to pull her away from him but he managed to keep it together until she left the coffee shop alone.

Lying on the couch, he suddenly heard Rainedrop run from the bedroom and practically slam the bathroom door. Sitting up he wondered if she was alright since she had never done anything like that. Only a minute later, she hurriedly moved to the apartment door and ran out into the hall wearing that too short of a nightgown. He heard her constantly knocking on Steve's door. By the time Bucky reached the door, Steve was opening his.

"Sorry, but I need to talk with Natasha…or Maria," she was forcefully requesting.

They could hear something desperate in her voice.

"Come on in, I'll get my phone," Steve told her wiping his eyes and as she passed him he looked over at Bucky with a questioning expression but he could only shake his head since he had no idea what was going on. He joined the two of them to make sure she was fine.

Steve handed her his cellphone, and she'd been taught how to look up numbers. Turning around as it rang to spot the two of them intently watching her, Rainedrop then walked into the bathroom, turning on the sink's water to cover up her conversation. She was _definitely_ getting to know the two of them.

"What's going on?" Steve asked him starting a pot of coffee.

"I have no idea," he admitted.

A few minutes later, Rainedrop emerged, thanked Steve for the use of his phone while handing it over, and then headed back to their apartment.

About twenty minutes later, they both heard the sound of someone coming up the stairs and then a knock at their door. Going into the hallway, he could see Natasha through the peephole with a bag in her hand. Rainedrop welcomed her in and the two of them disappeared inside. His curiosity was now at the highest level, so he stepped out and went to open his apartment door, finding it locked.

"Go away, Bucky Bear!" he heard Rainedrop yell at him.

"What's going on?" he demanded now a bit worried.

"I suggest that you go back over to Steve's," Natasha then called out to him with all seriousness in her voice.

With nothing less than a huff of anger, he stomped back to where Steve was standing at his door watching the scene with too much amusement. For the next few minutes they sat and tried to figure out what was going on. There had been one audible exclamation from Rainedrop formed of surprise but nothing that either of them could distinguish.

After a while, Nat just walked into Steve's with a smile on her face, enjoying his discomfort at not knowing if Rainedrop was fine.

"What's going on?" Steve calmly asked.

"Nothing the two of you need to be concerned about," she smiled while pouring a cup of coffee.

"Is she hurt?" he bluntly asked.

"Nope, Raine is fine," which made him feel better.

For the rest of the day, Rainedrop holed up in their apartment watching television wrapped in his blanket and writing down recipes off of the cooking shows she enjoyed watching as if nothing had happened this morning. He tried to question her but she dismissed his concern saying that she was fine. But after seeing her appetite greatly diminished along with her wincing in pain every so often then taking a medicine he didn't recognize, by bedtime he was not going to let it go anymore.

Cornering her as she left the bathroom, once again wearing her red nightgown, he blocked her path with his arms trapping her against the bedroom wall. Her eyes were wide with a mixture of nervousness and embarrassment.

"Raine, I want to know what is wrong with you," he demanded.

"Nothing is wrong, Bucky Bear," she told him still not sounding like her normal self.

"Then tell me what Natasha brought you this morning and why you seem to be hurting every so often," he requested.

Narrowing her eyes at him, she boldly told him, "Since you have made it _clear_ that you have no _sexual_ interest in me, then I _don't_ think you have to concern yourself of my delicate _woman's troubles_."

It took a few moments before the meaning of her words dawned on him, making him take a hasty step back from her. There was no mistaking the smug look on her face at the private admission before closing the bedroom door. Without another word, he walked into the den to go to bed embarrassed by the encounter.

* * *

Raine noticed that for the next few days that Bucky Bear was a lot nicer to her than he had been for some reason. Maybe it was his way to make up for her having to finally admit what she had discovered the other morning. It had been so long since she had dealt with her monthlies that she had not thought to ask Nat or Maria how girls dealt with them nowadays before it had started that morning. Luckily Nat understood and had purchased a couple of modern products for her to try, along with a medicine that eased her body's pains.

During this time, she also stayed in her apartment without going out if she could help it. Which meant that Bucky Bear was always nearby. He would go over to Steve's quite often, but he always made sure to come back over for some trivial reason, making it obvious that he was checking on her. She was starting to get a bit upset with his confusing attitude towards her.

Any time she dressed to go out with someone for a bit, he would glare at her with just enough disdain, but he never said anything. And at night when she would get dressed for bed, there was something different in his eyes, something he claimed was not there. And thinking about it while falling asleep had made her rise too early some mornings to continue her musings.

Earlier yesterday she had asked Steve about it while they had been alone walking to the grocery store. He told her that Bucky was trying to adjust, just as she was, but he was also still confused with his memories and emotions which had been suppressed for so long. His explanation sounded plausible but she wondered if it could be something more.

Not that she hadn't been trying to force some affection onto him. The only time he seemed calmer around her was when she asked him about something...so she made sure to ask a lot of questions about anything she could when they were alone together at night.

They were basically forced to live together. She didn't mind taking care of him, and by association Steve. Raine enjoyed cooking large meals for dinner, which would usually include Natasha, Sam, and on the very rare occasion, Maria. It was a familiar comforting task to perform. After living for the past two years on her own with nobody else to cook for, Raine had quickly grown to enjoy the company of the Shield agents.

Hearing Steve coming over as she and Bucky were just rising this morning, he knocked on the door. Putting on the housecoat that had suspiciously appeared the day after she went to Steve's in only her nightgown, Raine answered the door.

"Good morning," she smiled while seeing that there was something bothering him.

"Morning, Raine," he said using her nickname, which was a rare occasion. "I need to talk with the two of you."

"Come in," she said letting him enter and finding that Bucky Bear had been right behind her. She was getting used to his stealthy ways. There was something about Steve's expression that worried her. "There's something wrong, isn't there?"

"Not exactly wrong," Steve said closing the door behind him. "I just got a call from Maria. I'm going to have to leave for a few days on a mission."

"What sort of mission?" Bucky asked him sounding very serious.

"A small splinter group of Hydra agents that escaped the day of the Helicarriers is about to…try and cause a problem," he admitted.

"Hydra agents?" she asked.

Weeks ago that might have given her a bit of hope, thinking that there was someone out there to trust, but after all that she had learned from her new friends, she knew that this news might not be a good thing. Raine had been going through numerous news reports from the past few months from the files that had been released into the public about what Hydra had been doing in secret.

Using the computer tablet Sam had gotten for her, Raine had gone to any website that she could find with information about Hydra and her uncle on it. It had taken a couple of days of finding the exact same thing for her to see that there was no way this many places could be lying about Hydra. There were numerous news stories created from the documents Steve and Natasha had released onto the internet. And none of them were good.

After only being awake for a few days, she realized that Steve and the others had been truthful to her so Raine made sure that her attitude towards them was her best behavior.

Every day she found herself becoming more and more estranged from the lessons of her youth. Maria and Natasha had even shared a few stories of the Winter Soldier's missions that had been recorded by different agencies, learning who the targets were and why Hydra wanted them gone. Raine had been a bit surprised to learn that Bucky Bear had shot Natasha and had killed Maria's boss, Nick Fury. There were indeed many good people that had been eliminated. She had not wanted to ask Bucky Bear about them knowing it would upset him, but she wanted to know the truth.

"Yes. I asked Maria and she has agreed to allow you and Bucky to sit in on the briefing. We don't feel that you would compromise the mission once you hear about it. I know that you still have mixed feelings about Hydra with your past, but I was hoping that by hearing first hand what they are trying to do might help to convince you of what they really are."

Lifting her fingers to her mouth, she started to bite at one of her nails suddenly nervous. She no longer thought of Shield as how her Uncle Arnim had portrayed them to be. But could she really handle seeing this side of Hydra? Her uncle always said that Hydra would punish evil, so who could they be going after?

"How soon until we need to be there?" Bucky asked since she was quiet.

"One hour. Sam is going on the mission, as well as Nat, and he is coming by to pick us up."

"We'll be ready," Bucky told him with a nod as she quietly watched Steve leave. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she looked up at Bucky Bear, who's expression was unreadable. "Are you alright?"

Raine nodded without saying anything, because she was not sure exactly how she felt right now.

"Raine, it will be fine. You'll be fine," he told her with more concern in his voice than she had heard from him in a while.

This was not going to be a good day.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : Maria wanting to update the Zola Bot? Interesting...


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter Ten**_

After all three of them were dressed, Steve came back over and the three of them ate a quick breakfast of cereal. The drive to the Triskelion was pretty quiet, just like breakfast.

Entering the building felt a bit strange to her, as if she were being watched. Walking through the halls, she saw there were a few agents staring at her, but then they might actually _be_ due to who she was walking with. Steve and Sam were very well known, and there was a chance that some of them may have clearance to know who Bucky Bear was. By now, there might even be a few who knew of her.

Sitting in the mission briefing room waiting for Maria to get there was nerve wracking. Looking down at her nails, a few of them had been chewed down to the quick, ruining the manicure that Natasha had taken her for days ago. When the door finally opened, Maria was all business as she stood before the group and started the meeting.

"We received confirmation a few hours ago about a Hydra cell planning a biological attack in forty-eight hours. They gained access to an anthrax strain that has been altered to be airborne. Intel states that they will be releasing it during the upcoming Dallas Stars' football game. Executives from an overseas oil corporation will be in attendance and they are the primary targets. Killing them will halt a merger between two corporations that would help increase gas production with a new process that is less expensive and safer for the environment."

"How many people are expected to be at the game?" Sam asked as she sat silent trying to absorb the information.

"It's close to being sold out since it's on a Saturday. That means just about a hundred thousand innocent people would be exposed," Maria informed them, driving her point home with her wording that was probably meant for her.

And it was working.

Lorraine couldn't believe what she was hearing. Hydra would kill that many innocent people just to get to a few businessmen? This was the type of action that she had always been taught that Hydra was supposed to be trying to _stop_ , not the other way around.

The others were still talking about the attack so she tried to refocus on what they were discussing.

"We now know the location of their base just outside of the city. The plan is to move in before they have a chance to get anywhere near the stadium," Maria continued on.

The others started to ask more questions, getting more details on what they need to know for the actual missions, but Raine wasn't listening anymore…she couldn't.

There was no logical reason behind the gruesome task the Hydra cell was planning. None of the group she had begun to think of as friends were even surprised by the hideousness of the deed, as if to them Hydra trying to perform such an act was normal. But from everything that she had learned over the past few weeks, it seem that for Hydra…it was.

Raine felt a sharp pain in her chest as she told herself that her uncle _had_ been lying to her.

Leaving the briefing, Sam gave Bucky Bear the keys to his car, letting him have the use of it for the next few days while they were all gone with the promise of not ripping the steering wheel out of this one. None of the group bothered to ask her anything about what she was feeling or had learned, even Sam who was always trying to make her feel better. They could probably tell by her expression that she didn't want to talk about it.

As the two of them quietly walked through the building towards the parking lot, Raine now understood.

 _Everything_ her uncle had told her was a lie… _especially_ about how her Bucky Bear would be with her forever.

* * *

Bucky watched over Rainedrop for the rest of the day after getting back home from the briefing. She remained very quiet the entire time, and he could see that she was more than a bit withdrawn. He knew that it was hard for her to have such evidence given to her about Hydra. But maybe this would be the final turning point for her to realize that none of them had ever lied to her and that it had been her uncle to do so for all her life.

Rainedrop had silently fixed them a simple lunch and then shut herself in the bedroom with the e-reader that Sam had given her as a gift. He could always tell when she purchased a new book by the unique smile that always crossed her face. He remembered years ago how happy she had been after the first time he had been woken up and she had learned enough words to be able to read _him_ a book. That was a smile that almost made him want to reassess his idea of refusing to have…of _accepting_ the feelings he had for her.

A few hours later, Rainedrop moved around the small apartment cleaning and doing their joined laundry over in Steve's apartment, which he had told her she could have access to. Undertaking that chore kept her away from him, and he knew that she was doing it on purpose. She was still trying to accept all that she had learned today and it seemed that there was no need for him to validate what she was starting to understand. Bucky just regretted that it had to be done and that he hadn't stop her uncle from poisoning her mind years ago.

By bedtime, they had barely spoken to each other all day, and he did not like the quietness between them. Waiting as Rainedrop finished in the bathroom, he decided to see how she was doing now that she'd had time to process what she had learned this morning. He didn't want her to go to sleep if she was mad at him or the group.

"Raine," he called out to her when the bathroom door finally opened. She'd taken a long bath, probably just soaking in the water. As she stepped into the small den area, he could once again smell the sweet scent of vanilla that always accompanied her after bathing, enveloping the apartment as well as his senses. He had grown to like that scent too much. "Come sit with me for a few minutes."

Without actually answering him, she did so wearing that red nightgown that stirred something in him, something bad.

"I want to talk with you for a moment about this morning. I know that you didn't like what you learned about at the meeting and I wanted to see how you are doing now."

"I'm fine," her voice sounded small.

"Can you tell me a bit more than just you're 'fine'?" he tried to make sure that his voice was calm and a bit on the lighter side. He didn't want to get into an argument with her.

"What _do_ you want to hear? That I've _finally_ figured out that my uncle _lied_ to me for _my entire life_?" she was instantly defensive, her voice raised…exactly what he didn't want.

"No, I just want to make sure that you are not upset with any of us," he told her reaching over to take a hold of her hand, but the moment he made contact she pulled it out of reach. It struck him that it was exactly the same move that he usually did to her when she tried to touch him.

There was a small pain in his chest from her action. Now he knew what that denial of affection felt like.

"No, I'm upset with _myself_ for believing my uncle. He lied to me about _Hydra_ , he lied to me about what he was _working on_ …he lied to me about _you_."

There was no mistaking the meaning in her voice as she said that. And once again it brought a nagging doubt to him but he _couldn't_ let himself falter. Maybe if he drove the point home to her now, _he_ might actually start to believe it too.

"Now you have the chance to start over. You can make the life that _you_ want, not what your _uncle_ wanted for you."

"I guess I'll _have_ to now," she told him standing up and walking towards the bedroom, leaving him with an uneasy feeling in his gut with the statement. "Good night, Bucky."

It took a moment after Rainedrop had closed the bedroom door for him to realize that it was the first time she had not called him Bucky Bear.

* * *

After a bit of research due to yet another upgrade request from Maria Hill, Tim sat at his computer just before leaving for the night to let her know what he had been able to find. Yawning, he typed out the confidential email to her.

 _Director Maria Hill  
Status Report: ___Item #6587598-Z__

 _We found some of the old internal wiring was insufficient so I ordered them stripped and they will be replaced. The outer panels which showed the beginning signs of rust or deterioration will also be replaced.  
_

 _But the additional upgrades that you requested in your last email will push back the completion date of the Bot by another two months, putting completion in early to mid-May. Most of the delay will be producing the materials from the designs for Stark Industry's advanced servo motors to upgrade all of the joints._ _I will put in the order immediately for production to start._

 _The other computer software and internal hardware modifications can be done while they are being produced.  
_

 _Tim Harness_

* * *

Climbing the stairs to his apartment, Steve was dragging from a long couple of days. They had managed to take out the small Hydra terrorist base but it had not been easy. They had been supplied with upgraded weapons, some even automated. Instead of a quick breach and capture, it had become a three hour fight while trying to keep nosy civilian reporters from walking into the middle of a battle just to get a story.

Reaching the top floor, the faint smell of something cooking was much stronger and easily brought a smile to his face. He was sure that Lorraine was making dinner. Pausing at their door, he almost knocked to see if he could invite himself in for a hot meal not purchased at a drive-thru. There was not a single sound coming from the apartment.

Heading over to his door, he gave it a quick test and found it unlocked. He had told Bucky and Lorraine that if they wanted to they could also use his place while he was gone. It looked like one of them had.

Opening the door, the smell of the dinner wafted from inside, telling Steve that it wasn't being cooked next door.

"How did it go?" Bucky asked while sitting down on his couch and watching a movie Steve didn't recognize.

Glancing to the kitchen, Lorraine was standing in front of the stove-top with all the burners being used. There was no way to hide the smile at seeing her cooking and knowing that she had done so over here guessing he would be home to join them. He'd called this morning saying to expect him at some point today.

"Let's just say I'd rather not have to do that again anytime soon," he stated putting his shield to rest against the wall.

"Five minutes, Steve," Lorraine called out to him. "I hope you're hungry."

"Starving," he told her taking up a spot near Bucky on the couch. Dropping his voice so that only he could hear, Steve asked, "How did it go here the past few days?"

"Same as it has been, maybe a bit quieter," Bucky told him with a bit of a frown.

Shaking his head a bit, Steve could only wonder why Bucky was being so hardheaded about his feelings for Lorraine. There were too many times to count when he would catch Bucky watching her with a smile on his face. But the moment that she turned towards Bucky it was gone. Maybe he deserved what he was bringing on himself.

"Alright you two, go wash your hands," Lorraine called out reminding him of his own mother's habit of saying the same thing.

The two of them eventually made it to the table as Lorraine put the piled-high with food plates on it for them. He felt so much like a small child when she did such a motherly gestures. He and Bucky usually sat opposite of each other with Lorraine next to Bucky, which always brought out a grimace at her trying to be close to him.

But tonight, she took the seat next to him for the first time, making Steve a bit more curious as to what had gone on between them while he was away.

They ate while chatting but it wasn't until most of the way through the meal that he realized that even though the two of them were talking with him, they were not actually talking with each other. They didn't seem to be mad at each other but they weren't engaging in conversation together either.

What had Bucky done now?

* * *

By the time that Monday morning arrived, Raine had finally been able to make a decision after spending the past two days alone with Bucky. She had spent most of their time alone reevaluating the past few weeks together. Every time she had tried to sit a bit too close, Bucky would get up for something. Trying to hold his hand as they walked to the grocery store, he'd pulled away. Eating at the bar on the stools, he would move his all the way to the wall, as far as he could get from her.

Bucky was making it very clear that she was not wanted in his life.

That was why she had pulled her hand away from his the other night. To stop any feeling of comfort going to or coming from him. Raine was not going to let him get away with withholding affection only to dole it out when he wanted to. It was now obviously clear that he was ready to move on.

Which mean that she needed to move on.

There was no way that she could continue to live in the same place with Bucky every day. Seeing him and now knowing that every single feeling that she had for him was created by lies hurt her in a special way. Especially the part where he was not going to return them. From his reactions, getting physically to close to him almost made him angry at her.

She couldn't keep doing this…there was no reason to.

Considering her options, Raine felt that she had finally come up with at least the beginnings of a plan. Shield probably knew that she wasn't a threat to them anymore. Which meant that she didn't have to live right next door to their most famous agent. There was one very easy way to get out of here so that Bucky could continue to live next door to his best friend.

Raine needed to find a husband.

And to be able to start working on that, she now needed to talk with Maria.

Picking up the cellphone that Sam had brought for them to use, even with Bucky being next door at Steve's, she grabbed her coat and headed up the stairs so that she could sit in the small roof area for a bit more privacy.

* * *

"Good morning, Maria," Steve answered his cellphone as he and Bucky were arguing about which of the commandos had taken a bottle of whiskey that Dum Dum Dugan had stashed back during a mission. Each of them had always thought the other the culprit but both of them were adamant in their innocence. It seemed that it was an age old mystery that would never be solved.

" _Well I just had an_ _ **interesting**_ _conversation with Raine_ ," Maria told him.

Glancing at Bucky who had taken the interruption of the call to get another cup of coffee from the kitchen, Steve stood and walked closer to the den windows, the furthest he could get from his friend.

"Really?"

" _Yes. It seems that she has decided that she needs to move on…in the form of finding a_ _ **husband**_ ," Maria sounded very amused. _"She asked me how to accomplish that considering her history."_

"You're not joking, are you?"

" _Not in the least_ ," she said.

Looking back at Bucky, he knew where this was about to head and he wondered how his best friend was going to take it. He had hoped that after living together for a few weeks, and even being alone over the weekend that Raine or something else would push the issue and then Bucky would finally give up his pigheadedness about being together, making them both happy. Steve had seen the hidden smiles behind her back and the jealous nature when she talked with or even walked with other guys.

Listening to Maria though it sounded like the past two days had the exact opposite effect.

"Give me a little while and I'll be in so we can talk about this in person," he told her to which she agreed.

"What did Maria need?" Bucky asked when he hung up.

"It seems that I need to head in and talk with her for a bit. I don't think it should take long. How about I pick up lunch for the three of us on my way back?"

Bucky seemed to narrow his gaze at him, as if trying to judge his honesty, but he had in fact not lied about anything he had said.

Omitted, definitely.

"I'll let Raine know," he told him.

* * *

"Raine talked with me wanting to know if she was allowed to move out or if Shield would be watching her. I told her that if she really wanted to that she _could_ move, so I then asked her _why_ she wanted to move. She explained at if she found a husband then she didn't have to stay living with Bucky. Raine then asked how she _could_ go about finding a ' _potential mate'_ , her words, considering her background," Maria told him with a smile as they sat in her office.

It wasn't that big of a secret that the two of them were dealing with conflicting feelings for each other. Everyone in their group small group of friends knew the soap opera that Bucky had brought on himself. All of them were in agreement with Steve that he was just being obstinate. For weeks they had all seen the small things that Lorraine did to try and win Bucky's affection…cooking his favorite meals, making sure to stand close as they walked somewhere, trying to hold his hand, the smiles at him behind his back.

There was no mistaking that Lorraine was trying to get him to open up to her. But Bucky had taken over the title of 'stubborn as a mule'. But it looked as if she could only take so much rejection and had finally given up on him.

"What did you tell her?" Steve asked.

"That I would have one of our agents begin the paperwork to put her back into society…a driver's license, birth certificate to reflect her apparent age, a social security number. I told her it would take a few days and during that time I would figure out a plausible story for her. Do you know if something happened between her and Bucky this past weekend?"

"I think that the problem is that _nothing_ _did_. When I got back last night, they seemed fine, but a bit more _distant_ with each other. Lorraine even sat by me at the dinner table instead of next to Bucky where she usually would."

"And he still hasn't admitted to having feelings for her?" Maria asked but he guessed she already knew that answer.

"No, he hasn't. I think that he's worried about what could happen," he told her.

"The Winter Solider is scared?"

"No, _Bucky_ is scared."

Sitting in her chair, Steve watched as she fell into thought about something as she crossed her arms before looking back at him.

"So…what do we do to make him _un-_ scared?" Maria asked with a devious smile.

Sitting back in his own chair, Steve smiled back at her as he considered what she was getting at. He quickly began to formulate a plan.

"As Bucky said to me that day we took her to Camp Lehigh, I think that we give Lorraine exactly what she wants," Steve then began to explain his idea.

When Steve had finished, there was an amused glint in Maria's eye as she told him, "I have the perfect agent to help with this. It'll let him see just how much I like a good joke."

* * *

Agent Ryan Traxler left Director Hill's office with a wide grin on his face that he couldn't hide if he tried. He had been given a special mission that had a _very_ special possibility. He now knew about the female he and Eric had found in the hidden room being a former Hydra member's family member who had been lied to and tricked into being cryo-frozen.

But it turns out that Lorraine Zola was trying to be acclimated back into society and _he_ was chosen _personally_ by Maria Hill to take her out on a _date_. Hill had informed him that there was a chance during their date he may learn _confidential Hydra secrets_ from her and if he did, his security level would be _increased_ to reflect his _new status_.

Sure, seeing a picture of the beautiful woman he was going to spend an evening with was just a bonus.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter Eleven**_

Steve had come back from meeting with Maria, bringing them sandwiches for lunch. Just before he had gotten home, Rainedrop had taken a call from Maria Hill, heading up to the roof for a bit of privacy. Bucky figured that it was probably just girl talk, but he noticed that for some reason Rainedrop seemed to be a lot more nervous and excited for the rest of the day.

It was just about six o'clock in the evening and an hour ago Rainedrop had taken an early shower before locking herself away in the bathroom for much longer afterwards than she normally would. Before he had a chance to question her once the door finally opened, she'd headed into the bedroom to be alone for a while. So for the past hour, Bucky had sat on the couch staring at two different walls wondering what Rainedrop was doing behind them.

Hearing the bedroom door's lock finally click open, he was about to ask her if she wanted to get the Punk and head down the street to the restaurant Steve had first taken her to since it was so close to dinnertime. But seeing her as she was now attired, that question froze in his throat to be replaced with another.

"Raine, why are you dressed that way?" Bucky asked Rainedrop as she emerged from the bedroom in a very short yellow slip of a dress.

There was no mistaking the lovely curves of her body under it. Her hair had been styled slightly curled to frame her face perfectly. She had also put on a hint of make-up, mostly eye shadow and lip stick. In his opinion, she didn't need even that. To him, Rainedrop was beautiful all the time.

"I have a date tonight," the words she spoke made no sense to him.

Sitting up a bit straighter on the couch, Bucky muted whatever show he had been watching, now very focused on their talk.

"What do you mean you have _a date_? With _who_?" he asked as she clasped a silver chain around her delicate neck.

"A Shield agent named Ryan Traxler. That's what I was talking with Maria about earlier. I called her this morning to see if she would help me find a husband. She suggested that since I'm not used to modern dating, that by setting us up together it would be like a test run, to help me give me some practice...unless we really end up liking each other. Maria said that Ryan's been approved with security clearance so we can get to know each other without me having to lie about who I am," she informed him as the sound of footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs.

Steve was already in his apartment so that meant only one person could be making them.

"You _cannot_ go on a _date_ ," he tried to inform her as felt that same aching tightness start in his chest at this sudden change of events. His words might have told her to start over but he never expected her...especially not so soon. He wasn't ready to loose her.

But all Rainedrop was doing was what he had been telling her to do...and how he hated to think about it.

Seeing her eyes narrow at his statement told Bucky that he was in for a fight.

"Why _not_? _You_ are the one that pointed out to me that I could start over...that I _needed_ to start over, and that is _exactly_ what I intend to do, _starting tonight_ ," there was an angry firmness in her voice and her shoulders were straight and rigid, ready for him to rebuke her statement.

That was when there was a knock at the door.

While Rainedrop stepped over to the hooks where her coat hung, Bucky was up and off the couch in a flash. Before she could even step close to the door, he put himself between her and it, startling her into halting by his hasty action. Swing the door open way to hard, he glared into the hallway at the _boy_ standing there, obviously not expecting _him_ to answer the door.

"Hi, I'm Ryan," his weak voice sounding unsure of his own name as his eyes then grew wide to freeze on Bucky. He understood that Agent Ryan knew _exactly_ who he was looking at. Somehow he managed to squeak out, "I'm supposed to meet…"

Sticking his silver finger in his face, Bucky coldly instructed, "Turn around, walk down those stairs, and _never_ come back or nobody will _ever_ find your body!"

One second later the loud sounds of pounding footsteps began echoing throughout the stairwell, and Bucky was _pretty damn sure_ that he heard muffled laughter coming from Steve's.

"Why did you do _that_!?" Rainedrop angrily yelled at him as her tiny fist struck his arm as he slammed the door shut behind him.

"There is _no way_ you are going on a date with _anyone_!" he firmly informed her as his chest pain intensified tenfold.

There was only one way he was going to make it go away.

"Why not? You have made it _perfectly clear_ to me numerous times that you _never_ …" was as far as she got before their lips connected and he had Raindrop trapped in his arms so she couldn't leave here with anyone else.

Once she was over her shock of them finally kissing, Bucky felt his pain slowly changing in a very good way. The ache in his chest turned to a warm calm that spread through him now that she was finally in his grasp. For weeks every time that he had moved away from her if she got too close or withdrawn his hand from her delicate one when she touched him, that pain in his chest would start. Each day it had been a bit harder to keep his resolve of staying apart to the point of physically hurting him.

And now he wanted to kick himself for not doing this sooner.

Holding onto each other as her arms firmly wrapped around him, Bucky felt her body begin to melt to form against his. Gone was the tension that he always had with her slightest touch, trying to tell his body that it couldn't have her the way his mind did. Replacing it was a relaxing of his muscles at finally giving in to his wanting Rainedrop all for his own.

Luckily it seemed that with all of his pigheadedness towards her for these past weeks, that she didn't seem to be angry at him. The last thing the couldn't handle right now would be for Rainedrop to withdraw her affection towards him that he had been craving. If anything, with the strength of her kisses matching his it seemed like she was determined to make the two of them happen. And he was certain that he would not stop until he proved his love for her.

Bucky was enjoying the touch of her hands running through his hair, holding his head so they were together. They both barely came up for air as they continued to kiss. His hands ran down the sides of her thin dress touching the body he had been wanting to claim. His hands descended until they cupped her round bottom, bringing out a moan of pleasure from her. When he lifted her body upwards, Rainedrop's legs easily wrapped around his waist to press her body firmly against his needy groin.

Carefully he began to guide them as one through the small apartment. He was not even sure if Rainedrop noticed that he was able to maneuver them into the dark bedroom without the two of them ever separating.

With little effort he threw the covers off the made bed out of their way, along with the decorative pillows that had appeared a few weeks back. Only then did he finally have Rainedrop lying on the bed under him as her hands held tightly to his head as they continued to kiss, exploring each other's mouths. Pulling the annoying shirt over his head which was preventing her hands from truly touching him, they finally began to travel over his chest, rubbing his flesh and metal skin without a care for the difference in them.

His own hands traveled up the length of her smooth legs taking the hem of her dress easily with them. Evey inch they continued to move higher so there was no doubt as to what was going to happen.

As his hand reach the peak between her legs, Bucky felt the moan she gave in his own mouth. There was no mistaking the arousal coming from her hips wantonly grinding into his own. Breaking their kiss for a moment to see her face, her eyes sparkled with a lust that he had never seen there before. Rainedrop wanted this just as much as he did.

Neither one of them seemed to care about anything beyond the walls of the bedroom as they both became naked over the next few minutes. With each new exposed area of skin, they continued to explore, touch, and kiss each other, making that spot a familiar, comforting place. He found three spots on his Rainedrop that always made her back arch out towards him if he caressed them just right. There were two that made her gasp for air. And there was one spot on her neck that made her give a lovely giggle.

Neither of them spoke, probably worried that it would brake this wonderful spell.

Rainedrop's bare hips were now pushing upwards harder into his own exposed ones, grinding him with a need that he eagerly understood. Slipping himself inside of her, even with the heavy petting they had been doing, he did not miss the tension suddenly increase over her entire body at the new sensation of penetration.

"Rainedrop, are you alright?" he asked stopping all movement. He hadn't meant to use the nickname, but the blushing smile on her face told him that she didn't mind.

"Yes, Bucky Bear," she answered him with keenness in her voice.

But it was hearing his nickname from her lips after so many days of Rainedrop denying him of it that brought out even more pleasure. He needed to make her happy so that he could keep hearing that name from her.

Slowly he began to thrust, causing blissful moans to escape her lips which were soon encased with his. Their bodies fit together perfectly, her soft lips moving to find a sensitive spot on his neck for them. He loved the way her fingers drug across his scalp when she would pull him in needing more of his lips after catching her breath. Her cheeks were flush a bashful pink as she began to cry out with each thrust.

Eventually he moved his mouth down her body to show her what it felt like as he began to suck on her breasts. A lovely cry of ecstasy was pulled from her own kiss-swollen lips. As their body heat increased with his plunging movements, he could tell by the moans coming from her that he had wound Rainedrop up to the tipping point moments before she cried out as she threw her head back.

Bucky decided at that moment to use the entire rest of the night to discover _all_ of the sounds he could cause to escape from Rainedrop.

Finally admitting to himself that holding back these feelings he had for his Rainedrop had been so wrong, they both were able to find a satisfying comfort with each other over the next few hours. He knew now that he would never let her go. She had always meant to be with him and he would make damn sure that he was always there to protect her.

* * *

 _ **A Short Time Earlier**_

Still laughing as he watched from his window at the Shield agent running from the building for his life and then down the street, Steve sent out a group text to everyone who had been briefed on tonight's main event.

 **Steve** : Another successful mission

He already knew that all of them probably already laughing since Maria had sent him home with a small video camera to capture the actual event.

Since she had originally omitted weeks ago the reason for Traxler and Johnson to be on cleanup duty, she had told him earlier today what had transpired with the horrible dirty limerick. Steve agreed that Ryan had brought this joke upon himself. He'd heard Maria tell much funnier jokes.

* * *

Waking up early the next morning, Raine knew that there was a large smile on her face that she could never hide. There was no mistaking the firm, warm chest that her head was lying on. Bucky Bear's steady breaths told her that he might still be asleep. She remembered being happily exhausted last night but not actually falling asleep. The covers of the bed were over them and she was pretty sure that they were still completely naked.

Knowing that she might not get another chance for a while, she carefully began to lift the sheet covering Bucky Bear, allowing her to look at what lay underneath. Even with the teachings from Mlle. Jacqueline, she had never seen a real man naked before, only drawings so she knew what to expect. Last night the bedroom had been too dark and she had been distracted by many other erotic things.

"What are you doing?"

The sound of his voice startled her into dropping the sheet back down.

"Nothing," but even she could hear the lie in her voice.

Bucky Bear's arm around her began to lift and push her upward and she found herself resting atop of him, and he had a smile as large as her own. Crossing her arms to lay her chin on his chest, they just enjoyed being there together for a bit looking at each other.

"How are you doing this morning? Do you feel alright?" he asked her as he pushed strands of hair from her face.

"Yes, I'm fine," she knew he could see the blush in her cheeks. "Is it always like that?"

His hand paused as his expression changed, but she knew he was not mad at her.

"Rainedrop, was that your first time having sex?"

Biting her lower lip, she nodded her head, and his eyes went wide. Reaching over he moved the cover off of the bed and the was the tell-tale sign of a small bloodstain. Releasing the linen, his arms came around her to hold her tightly to him as he kissed her forehead.

"I had no idea. If I knew, I wouldn't have been so eager," he told her.

"I liked it. It was just like the books that I read said it would be, only better," she admitted as her cheeks burned even more.

"Books?"

"My uncle had a woman, Mlle. Jacqueline come to talk with me when I became a woman. She explained everything to me, including sex. She gave me different books to read where people…did _that_ , so I would know what to expect," she shyly explained. "Both her and my uncle told me that by keeping myself to be a good girl that it would mean a lot to you."

"A good girl? A virgin?" She nodded in agreement. "So I didn't hurt you?"

"No, it felt strange at first, but you can't ever hurt me, Bucky Bear," she told him reaching over to run a finger over the longer morning stubble on his face.

" _Can't ever_ hurt you? Why would you say it that way?" he asked her as his brow furrowed.

"Uncle Arnim made it so that you could never hurt me, even if you tried," she told him and his expression changed again to seriousness.

"Explain what you mean," he softly demanded, making her a bit worried.

"Right after you went to sleep the first time Uncle Arnim told me that you would never be able to hurt me. He explained that he somehow told your mind to always recognize me to prevent you from ever hurting me," she explained growing a bit worried at how Bucky Bear seemed to be getting upset.

Had she done something wrong?

Bucky Bear then sat up a bit, forcing her to move off of him and back onto the bed.

"That day when you first met Steve, while you were in the field, I was on a nearby rooftop. When you shot at him, I aimed my gun at your arm, not knowing who you were but trying to _stop you_ from killing Steve. But I was not able to _physically_ pull the trigger of the gun no matter how hard I tried. And from what you just said, _now_ I know _why_ ," he told her sounding a bit angry. "If your uncle managed to plant _that_ suggestion into my head, how do I know that he didn't _also_ plant this idea of wanting to be with you, of loving you, too?"

Hearing him say that he loved her while questioning the idea behind it caused a horrible pain in her chest. But was it possible for Uncle Arnim to have done that? If he could stop Bucky Bear from hurting her, then it was possible he had implanted more suggestions. Raine began to try recalling any other conversations with her uncle where he might even have told her about doing that. None of them did...but there was something that she _did_ recall.

"I don't think that he _needed_ to do that," she told him looking over at where Bucky Bear seemed troubled. "I remember him telling me numerous times that you were loyal, honorable, and caring, and as long as I kept myself pure for you that your natural instincts would take over and you would always be there for me…so I did."

He looked down and away from her for a few moments, considering her explanation.

"You don't know whether to love or hate me now, do you?" she asked as her body began to get cold as her shoulders slumped.

Bucky Bear finally looked over and seeing the change in her softened his expression. His arm reached out and pulled her back next to his sitting up form, nestling her against him. Feeling his arms around her made Raine feel much better after realizing the fear that he had. Raine had not even considered her uncle making him want to be with her was an option.

But she was learning that there was many things she didn't know about her uncle.

"Rainedrop, no, I will never hate you. I was just worried that these feelings may not have been my own. But if what you say is true, then I know that what I feel is really mine, and that makes me even happier," he told her, kissing the top of her head. "I'm sorry if what I said sounded mean. But I've known for weeks that I love you. And for some reason, _especially_ with being a jackass towards you, I know that you love me too."

Raine couldn't help but smile at hearing that. Then she wondered…

"Bucky Bear?"

"Yeah?"

"Could we do _that_ again?" she knew her cheeks were red with the request.

Suddenly she was pulled back atop of him with a squeal escaping her lips.

"Absolutely, Rainedrop."

* * *

"You helped set me up!"

Steve's body flailed as he was awoken from his deep sleep by the loud accusation from the intruder into this home. Opening his eyes, he spotted Bucky looming over him with his arms crossed and glaring down at him.

Sighing with relief at the verbal attack he had been expecting, just not at this early hour, "I admit to nothing," he stated with a grin before rolling over and pulling the comforter up to his chin.

"I heard you laughing."

"At least we know you don't need your hearing checked."

"Why?"

Steve opened his eyes and turned his heard to see if Bucky was _seriously_ asking that question. It seemed that he was.

" _Why_?" he repeated as he pushed himself into a sitting position. "Because the two of you were _miserable_ all because of _your_ thickheadedness. Everyone was in agreement that if _you_ would just admit your feelings for Lorraine to yourself and _do_ something about it, then maybe we'd _all_ be a bit happier."

"Who's _everyone_?"

Steve narrowed his eyes at Bucky.

"Look. From the sounds that I had to listen to last night, I'd guess that you finally admitted your feelings to Lorraine. Is that right?"

Bucky seemed hesitant to answer at first but he finally said, "Yes."

"And are the two of you happy this morning?"

A very knowing smile then appeared and Steve could guess the reason for it.

"I'll take that smirk as another yes. So what if you were set up? I was hoping you would have taken the initiative and done something while we were out of town. And since you didn't, I just took matters into my own hands...with a little help of course."

"What if I _had_ let Rainedrop go on that date? What then?"

Steve gave Bucky his own smirk, answering, "Then you would have _deserved_ to be miserable since it was your _own fault_ that you were, Jerk. Now go away and let me sleep."

Steve closed his eyes and let his head fall back onto his pillow and he actually heard footsteps as Bucky walked away.

"Fine. Then you don't get any of Rainedrop's stuffed French toast."

Steve was up and out the door in less than a minute.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : I've been able to edit a bit quicker than anticipated so I will now be posting on Mondays and Fridays. We are getting close to the action.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chapter Twelve**_

Days after the date that never was, Sam invited their group over for a Thanksgiving meal, something that Raine had never been to while growing up. It was an American holiday that she and her uncle never celebrated being Swiss. Being at the gathering of her new friends, but most importantly on the arm of her Bucky Bear, was a special treat for her. Sam's parents came into town to be with him so he cooked a large turkey.

Everyone else brought a dish to share, so she made a Bündner Nusstorte, a sweet caramelized nut-filled pastry for dessert. Since it was her uncle's favorite Raine had memorized the recipe long ago as she had made it so often. But after seeing how much her Bucky Bear liked it she decided against telling him that though, not wanting to ever remind him of her uncle if she could help it.

He never again asked or brought up the possibility of Uncle Arnim putting the suggestion of loving her into his head. But after having that worry told to her, Raine felt a small nagging down inside of her from time to time. Her uncle never told her that he had done something like that, but she was finding out that there was _a lot_ that her uncle didn't tell her. Was it _possible_ that he _had_? That would not have been information he would have shared with her, wanting to keep making her think that Bucky Bear's feelings were real if they were not. Raine didn't know if they would ever really know for sure.

And for now they were happy. Maybe that was all that mattered.

After spending that delightful first night together, Bucky Bear no longer slept alone on the couch in the other room. Every night she found him waiting in their bed, and each night was even more wonderful than the one before. He had asked about Mlle. Jacqueline and what they had discussed so he suggested that they try out anything that she wanted. Only once did they have Steve pounding on their joint wall telling them to keep it down.

Now when they went out somewhere together, he always made sure to hold her hand, such a change from when he would pull away from her touches. He no longer got angry with her for sitting near him. In fact, at night while they watched television, he wanted her right up against him, his arm wrapped protectively around her. Sometimes Bucky Bear would come into the kitchen just to grasp around her waist as she got meals ready, small kisses tickling her neck.

This was the Bucky Bear she had dreamed of for so long. The one who loved her and that she could love back.

As Christmas began to approach, they talked with Steve about they wanted to celebrate. Since it had been so long since he and Bucky had shared a Christmas, and she only received presents from her uncle, they all agreed that staying home together and decorating their places was fine for them. She loved walking through all of the stores and seeing how sparkly all the holiday decoration were nowadays. Everything was so bright and shiny. Both Steve and Bucky each carried home a real tree to decorate with new ornaments for their apartments, which quickly had wrapped gifts underneath.

But for New Year's Eve, Steve and Bucky decided that they wanted to start the new year with something familiar to the both of them. So Raine found herself in New York City for the first time in her life standing in a very packed Times Square as the large crystal ball began to descend. Soon the entire skyline was filled with colorful streamers that poured down like rain. As the crowd sang around them, she gave her Bucky Bear a large kiss, then turned to give Steve one too, making sure that he did not feel left out. Seeing the jealous eye Bucky Bear gave him, she swatted his arm telling him to knock it off. He knew that Steve was only a friend, but she liked how he coveted her.

They chose to stay at the Knickerbocker Hotel never having the opportunity to when they were young and happy to see it returned to it's original intended use. During their walk back to the hotel in the late hour, Raine had kept glancing up at the massive building with the very well lit-up large letter A on the side of it. Steve had mentioned during the drive up that little Tony had his own building but Raine hadn't pictured anything close to what she now saw.

She didn't mention to Steve about used to having known Tony when he was a young boy and seeing how closed off Bucky Bear became at hearing his name, she knew that he was thinking about his own horrible connection. It was only a wound that could become worse so neither one of them said a word to Steve.

They spent the entirety of the next day walking around Brooklyn in the snow, Steve telling stories of their adventures as kids. Bucky Bear seemed to be able to eventually recall them better as Steve spoke, making her happy that the friend whom she had first met was coming back out. She was even able to tell them about some of the stories from Bucky Bear's point of view she had learned years ago making the two of them laugh and argue about who was right.

Before Raine knew it, almost three months of being awake and two with Bucky Bear had passed by in the blink of an eye.

But it wasn't until the bustle of the back-to-back holidays was finally over in January that Raine suddenly stopped cutting up cucumbers for a salad as she realized something. Luckily Bucky Bear was next door at Steve's as her mind raced over the calendar of the past few months.

Running to the bathroom, she glanced under the sink at the feminine products Natasha had gotten for her, and saw that they were still mostly unused. She had not needed them for the past few weeks. She had been enjoying her time with Bucky and had not even noticed that they were forgotten. Which meant possibly one thing…

Grabbing up the cell phone she now had, Raine bit her lip hard as she listened to the ringing tones.

" _Hey, Raine. How are you_?"

"Natasha, I think I _really_ need your help again…"

* * *

Less than half an hour later, Nat found herself sitting in Raine and Bucky's apartment with him being locked outside once again in a strange sense of déjà vu. Only this time, she was watching Raine pacing around the coffee table over and over for three minutes while waiting for the pregnancy test to show its results.

Raine had thought that she would have to make a doctor's appointment and not find out for a week, maybe even two, if she was really pregnant. But after hearing how she had not used up the items from her first cycle all those months ago, Nat felt that the test was only a luxury, not a necessity. Hearing the timer on her phone beep, Raine practically ran to the bathroom.

Picking up the stick from the counter and examining the results, Raine stared at it before she turned around, her eyes wide.

"It's…it's…I'm…" she tried to say but her pale expression spoke for her.

That was when her body started to change. Luckily Nat was close enough to keep her on her feet, guiding Raine over to the bed to sit down since it was closest.

"So I guess that congratulations are in order?" she had to smile down at her.

Raine could only nod as she continued to hold the stick in her hand.

"Are you sure this thing is right? It's too simple to _really_ know," Raine looked a bit dazed as she questioned the results.

"Nowadays these tests are fairly accurate. We can have a doctor…" was as far as Nat got before she really began to consider the situation.

They still had no real idea what Zola had done to Bucky during his time as a prisoner before Steve found him. Whatever type of serum was inside of him had helped Bucky survive a fall that nobody should have been able to. Then he had been a prisoner again with no telling what else he might have been subjected to.

And now, that same altered genetic material had been passed on to a new generation.

"What?" Raine asked her now looking even more worried.

"I'm going to let Maria know so that she can set you up with a doctor from Shield because of yours and Bucky's histories," she explained and seeing a bit of a relief from Raine. Maybe she hadn't figured out Nat's worry yet. "But that is only _after_ you tell someone else the happy news."

Raine glared at her for a moment before staring down at the stick still in her hand.

"Is that what it is? Do you really think that for him this is a good thing?"

Nat sat on the bed next to her trying to figure out the perfect thing to say to alleviate her fears…and nothing came to her.

"It will be a shock for him, just like it is for you, but I think that with how much he understand and shows that he cares for you, that to Bucky this will indeed be a very good thing."

After a few moments, Raine's cheeks began to grow rosy as a smile appeared on her face.

"This is actually what I always wanted. Well, maybe not a top floor apartment surrounded by Shield agents," Raine's voice hinted at the joke she was trying to accomplish. Nat knew that she had long since discarded any animosity towards any of them.

"Actually, once you pick Bucky up off of the floor, the two of you will need to have a discussion about moving somewhere with another bedroom…and maybe a yard," she told her and there was no way that Raine would ever be able to hide the smile she had at hearing that. For her, the house with a white picket fence with kids playing in the yard was a dream come true.

But then Nat saw her expression change.

"A house? But we aren't even married," Raine then told her and a new panic began to set in again. "Oh, heck. I'm unwed and pregnant. He'll shun me!"

"Raine, _he's_ the one who _caused_ this," she tried to add a bit of humor to calm her down. "Bucky will never _shun_ you. Times have changed. You're just worried because this is all new to you."

Nat noticed that Raine was now staring at the wooden box at the foot of the bed. She recalled Steve mentioning that it held her belongings from the underground apartment from years ago. Seeing her focus on it, Nat knew there was something of importance to Raine inside.

"What's in there?" she asked her nodding her head to indicate the object.

Raine stood up putting the stick down on the nightstand and opened the lid as she followed her to see inside. In a thick brown box lying under some white tissue paper was a beautiful sleek silk and beaded bodice gown, obviously meant to be her wedding dress. Compared to today flamboyant styles it was so reserved, but it had a classic beauty to it that fit Raine perfectly.

"I made this years ago when I thought…" Raine's voice trailed off and she didn't finish.

Nat knew what was bothering her.

"There is a very good chance that you are going to be wearing that real soon," she smile at her.

"So, now I just have to figure out how to tell Bucky Bear," she said as Nat internally laughed at hearing such a cute name for the feared Winter Soldier that had shot her twice.

* * *

Nat had come over to Steve's to tell him that he was now allowed back inside of his own place without telling him what the two of them had been discussing. Heading over, he found Rainedrop pacing the living room floor with a very worried expression.

"Are you alright? Did something happen?" he asked her to which she nodded her head.

Now he was worried about her but she then pointed to the couch and sat down herself so he followed suit.

"Yes, something did happen. Something slightly unexpected…and so now…I'm expecting," she told him as he tried to decipher her words.

His eyes shot open wide when he finally understood.

"You're pregnant?" he asked her to which she nodded while looking very worried at the same time.

He knew that he should say something but this scenario never even crossed his mind as he had been sitting over at Steve's waiting to learn what was wrong.

But really…nothing was wrong.

Before the war, Bucky had known that eventually he would be able to find that one dame that he would want to settle down with and have a family. And for the past few months he could finally see him doing just that with Rainedrop. Settling down…the words began to echo in his thoughts. They weren't actually settled down, they weren't even married. They had been playing house and having a lot of good times without thinking about the serious consequences.

"Are you mad at me?" the words came from a soft cracking voice and he was able to turn his attention back to Rainedrop.

Bucky hadn't realized how long he had been sitting there in silence thinking about what this turn of events meant.

"Never," he said pulling her in, protectively wrapping his arms around her…and his child. "I'm going to be a dad."

He knew that eventually it would really hit him and the excitement building in him would eventually turn to worry and fear, but not right now. Instead, he lowered himself and Rainedrop so that she was lying back on the couch as he began to firmly kiss her. Lifting up her shirt, he began to trail kisses down her front making her giggle until he reached her belly. Stopping there, he put his ear to it, even though he knew that he would never be able to hear anything.

"You are going to be a great mother. I can tell by how well you've been doing with taking care of me and Steve," he turned his head to grin at her, earning him a laugh.

"A baby is definitely going to be easier than the two of you," she told him running her fingers through his hair. "Do you care if it's a boy or a girl?"

"No, just that the baby is healthy," he told her thinking about how sick Steve had always been growing up. But hearing that made her lips slightly frown. "What's wrong?"

"Nat mentioned that I'll need to go to a Shield doctor because of who we both are," she told him and he began to understand her worry.

"Everything is going to be fine," he told her sliding back up her body to put a kiss on her worried lips. "I'm very healthy and we have no reason to doubt that the baby won't be too. You have no idea how far along you are, do you?"

"No. It may have even been since the first time. With the holidays, I hadn't even realized that I hadn't…you know," she blushed with the words.

"You could already be close to two months along?" to which she nodded.

Thinking that, it brought back up a concern he had just a while ago. They didn't have long before the baby would be here, and they had no place here for him or her. Staying living in such a small place was not how he had ever envisioned raising his family. Even his old place in Brooklyn before the war had more than one bedroom.

And then there was the fact that he wanted this child to have his name. He was going to be a father in every way, which meant that he wanted to be a husband for Rainedrop. He'd come to love her in a way he'd never cared for anyone else before. If they had been together like this seventy years ago, they would have been married well before now.

But with the strange life they had both led, it had slipped from his mind as he already considered Rainedrop his.

Grinning up at her, he loved the way she always returned one of his smiles, "We got a lot of planning to do, future Mrs. Barnes."

The squeal of delight that left Rainedrop's lips about deafened him.

* * *

"Rainedrop's pregnant!"

Steve knew about three seconds of shock stayed on his face before…

"I'm going to be an uncle!" Steve threw his arms around Bucky at hearing the wonderful news.

They both had been worried since Nat and Lorraine locked themselves away, Bucky more than him. But hearing the reason why got rid of any tension he had. To him, this was the best possible outcome considering how all of their lives were going.

" _That's_ what you think of?" Bucky asked with a light punch to his shoulder, making Steve let him go. "Not that I'm going to be a dad?"

"Anyone can be a dad, but only special people get me as an uncle," he told him with a cheesy grin.

"If that's how you feel about it, then maybe I need to find someone else to be my best man," Bucky was already walking towards Steve's apartment door as he stated that.

"What? The two of you are getting married?" he grabbed him by the shoulders to turn him around, finding Bucky grinning at him with the taunt.

"Well, seeing as how we seemed to have skipped that part…" he told him. "But, we've just been happy the way we were. I never even considered the consequences of all of those late nights, early mornings, afternoon delights…"

"Alright, I get it, Jerk," he told him walking away to sit back on the couch. "So, what's the first order of business?"

Bucky sat down next to him, looking worried now for some reason.

"Nat mentioned to Rainedrop that she'll need to go to a Shield doctor because of our histories, especially mine. I didn't mention it to her but I'm worried about what they may find," he admitted to him. "I don't know what Zola actually did to me. The baby may be fine, or it may be…different."

"Passing your altered genetic material on to the baby," Steve stated aloud. "Nat's right about needing a Shield doctor, but let's not worry about anything else until we actually have a reason to."

"Then how about the fact that we have anywhere to put a baby," Bucky pointed out to him.

He and Rainedrop had a very long discussion about what all needed to happen over the very short time span of only a few months.

"Then we'll see what needs to be done to get the two of you a place of your own."

"You make it sound so easy," Bucky told him.

Placing his hand on his best friend's shoulder, "It is when you have friends helping you. And that is exactly what the two of you are going to have."

* * *

The next day, Raine was putting her clothes back on after being thoroughly embarrassed at having anyone, besides Bucky Bear, looking over her naked body. But for the next seven months, she was going to have to get used to it. Doctor Susan Welsh, the _female_ doctor which she had requested, told her that she was indeed about two months along, give or take a few days. So the due date was in early August. Finishing with her shoes, she looked over at Bucky Bear who was still sitting in the chair looking at the small black and white picture of their baby.

She was still amazed at all of the new technology that had been invented, but today had introduced her to some of her favorites so far. Not only did they have a picture, but they had listened to the baby's heartbeat. And in a few months during another visit, they would be able to find out the sex of the baby. That had always been a surprise growing up but she wanted to use the device and find out, that way she could plan the room better…once they had a room.

"Ready?" she asked finally pulling Bucky Bear's smiling eyes from the image of their child in his hand.

"Yes," he told her standing and getting a kiss. "Feeling alright?"

"Just as I have been," she told him.

The doctor had asked if she'd had any signs of morning sickness to help her figure out the pregnancy, but so far she'd had none. Raine learned that a lot of women didn't have the tell-tale sign and maybe she would be one of the lucky ones. She had then looked over at Bucky Bear and knew that she already was.

"Then let's go find Steve and get some lunch," he told her opening up the examination room's door and taking her hand into his.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : For the most part, over the past two months there was not a lot going on in their lives that didn't fall into the 'normal' category so I wanted to get to the pregnancy shocker. But don't worry, there is a big event just over the horizon...and I don't mean the birth.

FYI: Early pregnancy test for over-the-counter were not invented until 1978, and even then were expensive and not very accurate. Going to a doctor would take up to two weeks to learn the results. During the 1960's, pregnant girls would be 'shunned' by their families, then 'dumped' at Salvation Army homes for unwed mothers. They would then be 'forced' to give the child up for adoption. This is what Raine was worried about happening to her. Be very glad of the time that you live in.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Chapter Thirteen**_

 _ **During Late January  
**_

Sam spent the day with Raine walking her through the different websites where they could see all of the houses around Washington for sale. Bucky had gone with Steve to pick out a car for them. They were having to make a lot of important decision in a very short amount of time, and he hoped that the two of them were able to handle it. Both of them had been thrown into a new world, and it could become very overwhelming if they were not careful.

At least Raine had some very specific needs when it came to a house, making their searches much easier...at least he thought so.

"No," she pouted, scrolling to the next selection close to an hour later.

Maybe he had been wrong about this being easier.

"We put in everything you requested into the search parameters, so what's missing?" he asked as the pictures of the front of the houses zoomed by.

"None of them are cute," she informed him.

"Cute? That's what you are looking for? There's no box with 'cute' as an option."

"Of course that's what I want. Most of these look just like the exact same house."

"That's because we are searching neighborhood developments," he explained pulling the laptop back towards him. "The neighborhoods have anywhere from five to ten house plans and you choose one and maybe add some changes on the insides."

"I remember hearing about planned neighborhoods after the war doing something similar," she said watching him type in a few new changes to her request list. After a few moments, he hit search and saw her face light up.

"These! This is what I wanted," she was practically glowing while looking at the screen of older craftsman style cottages.

By the time the guys had returned, they had three houses picked out for the two of them to tour.

* * *

"Are you going to choose a color or not?" Rainedrop asked him for the third time as he stared at the different colors of white.

"I don't see a difference in any of these," he told her again. Putting down the paint samples on the coffee table filled with more similar ones, he reached over and pulled Rainedrop into his lap. His hands automatically settled on her rounding belly. "When I say that I will go along with whatever you decide, I mean it. The house is yours to do with as you please. As long as you like it and are happy, then I'll be too."

"You're just trying to get out of picking a color," she sighed while still holding her two favorite color choices for the baby's room, a light blue and a delicate pink.

But they had some time before they knew which to paint in the baby's room of their new house. Shield, specifically Maria, had been a tremendous help with making the two of them legitimate citizens again, even pushing through the paperwork to help get the house purchase taken care of quickly. And in a few more weeks, it would be finished being painted and slightly renovated so they could move in.

He, Steve, Sam, and Nat had gone away for a few days raiding a couple of more safe houses and stashes. Not only were they making sure to help take down any remaining Hydra agents out there, but Maria was granting him access to the emergency funds that he was able to find. So he made sure that they went to some of the more well stocked facilities first on the list.

Maria had also informed him that by going on these missions it meant that he was now a part of Shield, with Steve as the team lead. Bucky pointed out that he was used to that. That also helped to make sure that the two of them were cared for and protected. Even though he was working with Shield, his existence was not public or even common knowledge. There were a lot of enemies out there that probably suspected him of having fallen with Hydra. Bucky had no problem letting them think that.

And when he came back to the apartment, Rainedrop was there waiting with that beautiful smile of hers...and it was all for him. Every so often he would mentally berate himself for his actions when they first started living together. Those few weeks, he had put himself in a special hell of denial. But never would he do that again. Bucky felt that it was a bit ironic that after all of this time, that in a way, Rainedrop was getting exactly what she wanted…a family.

But now it was without Hydra overseeing them.

And he had absolutely no problem with that.

* * *

 _ **During February**_

"I'll find the bouquet," Nat told her as she left the changing room in the small church in Brooklyn they had chosen for the very private ceremony. Turning around to look at herself in the full length mirror, Raine started to doubt being here.

Her mind had been swirling for the past few days about why she and Bucky Bear were together, recalling how he brought up his worry about what emotional conditioning her uncle may have done to him after being together their first time. At first she had been so sure of her belief that all of their feeling for each other were real. And Bucky Bear had never brought it up again, letting Raine know that he trusted her.

But over the past few weeks after learning about the pregnancy, she'd begun to doubt herself. Had their relationship started on a lie? Was it possible that Bucky Bear had been right? Was all of this nothing more but an implanted suggestion?

Her Uncle Arnim had always told her that Bucky Bear would love her, and because of that she had started to love him on that idea. But what was the reason for that love? He may have been her friend when she was young, but how had that turned to love? Could a childhood friendship really turn into what they felt? Or had her uncle somehow, without her knowing, put the idea in his head to love her just as he had done with not being able to hurt her? Could he had done _that_ to _her_?

Raine had heard the term 'cold feet' when it came to worries about getting married, and she wondered if she was just feeling that effect. Was she just projecting a worry Bucky Bear had months ago that did not really exist?

Then she thought about how they had both grown up, the lessons of their day. What about if he was only marrying her because it was the honorable thing to do? In their time, if the woman got pregnant, she would have been shunned by her family unless the guy stepped up to marry her. But for the past few months, she'd learned that as times changed, so did the attitudes of people. A single mother or father was nothing out of the ordinary today. This is what they wanted, right?

Were these feelings they both had real?

"You look like someone deep in thought," a strong deep male voice sounded around her in the small room.

Turning around, Raine found herself staring a stranger standing right next to the closed door. How had he gotten in here with nobody noticing? He looked very menacing wearing all black leather, but it was the eye-patch that scared her the most.

"Who are you?" she asked stepping back and trying to decide if she needed to scream for Nat to come back.

"Nick Fury, Maria and Natasha's boss. Maybe you heard of me?" he asked glaring at her.

The name was very familiar to her, "You're dead."

"And that is what everyone is going to keep thinking until I take care of a few more problems," he smiled a bit at her.

"Why are you here?" she asked as her hand went to protectively cover her small belly bump.

"I'm here to see if _you_ are _one_ of those problems. I wanted to meet the very well-kept Hydra secret that managed to somehow wrangle-in the Winter Soldier."

"That's not who he is anymore. He's free from Hydra and anyone else that could hurt him," she sternly informed him.

"Really? Because the Winter Solider is what _you_ helped to make him into."

"No, that was my uncle!"

"Then those hidden hand-written journals of your uncles that we found in your underground apartment were a lie?"

She knew her uncle had secrets but that particular one didn't sound familiar.

"What journals?"

Fury then stepped a bit closer to her, but Raine managed to hold her ground.

"According to what Zola wrote, when you were very young you used to talk with Bucky Barnes every single day, listening to all his childhood memories."

Raine nodded her head remembering their talks very fondly.

"Thanks to you telling your uncle everything that you had learned, he used Barnes' own memories to help brainwash him into compliance for Hydra."

"No, I didn't…I wouldn't have done that."

"You may not have _known_ that's what you were doing then since you were five, but that is _exactly_ what your little talks were for. They helped your uncle pick out key words to help lock away Bucky Barnes' memories and activate the Winter Soldier personality, a perfect killing machine. When spoken by someone in Russian, they would give the speaker full control over Barnes, ordering him to do Hydra's bidding without hesitation."

Her body started to grow cold and her knees weak so she rested down onto the small couch off to the side. Raine could only shake her head as she thought about all of those dinners where Uncle Arnim wanted to hear about Bucky Bear growing up in Brooklyn. She had just been happy that he wanted to hear about her only friend. There was no reason for her to consider that they were for anything else but learning about him. What had she unknowingly done?

"I had no idea that was why uncle…," she refused to say his name aloud. Looking up at Fury, if he knew all of this..., she asked, "Is there a way to remove those words from Bucky's mind, to keep him safe?"

"Probably not."

She had been overly emotional for weeks now thanks to the baby hormones so Raine couldn't help it as the tears started to fall. She had put Bucky Bear into so much danger…starting when she was only five.

"So, as I said, I'm here to see if you are a problem that I need to take care of," Fury informed her with a cold voice. "Steve, Maria, and Nat vouch for you, but I need to know for myself that the Winter Soldier is not about to permanently link himself to a devious, tricky sleeper Hydra agent so that she can use him to undermine everything good that Shield has been working towards."

That was an accusation she would not let stand. Gathering her strength, she stood up and stepped closer to Fury.

"I would _never_ do anything to hurt him! I love him!"

"Are you sure about that…or is that your uncle talking?"

Raine opened her mouth to deny that, but she couldn't. Fury had just spoke aloud the same doubt that she'd had just before he walked in.

Her voice sounded so small as she answered, "I want it to be me and _not_ my uncle's manipulation."

Fury stood a bit straighter hearing that with a bit of a smile coming over his lips as if he approved of that answer. Did he know something?

"Bucky and I know that my uncle did something to his mind so that Bucky couldn't hurt me. Was that in the journals?"

"Yes, it is."

"Then you would know if they also say if either he or I also may have had something put into our heads to make us want to be together…to make us feel like we are in love. Do they say that he did that?"

Fury looked down at her with that one piercing eye her before answering, "No, they don't."

"Then these feelings are our own?" she needed to hear him to say it.

"Yes."

There was no mistaking the tension that left her body at finally getting confirmation that their minds were their owns.

"Would you do me a favor and go right now and tell Bucky that? I had my own doubts and I'm worried that he has the same. Maybe hearing what you just told me would help him too."

Fury gave her a weak but knowing smile, "I can do that."

"I didn't know about those key activation words until you just mentioned them. I'm not even sure _what_ they are, and I _don't_ want to know. I don't have to have it _implanted_ into me to not hurt Bucky. I would never _willingly_ do that to him."

" _That_ is what I wanted to make sure of," Fury told her as he turned for the door. "I'm trying to track down the only book where those activation words are known to be located. So far I've learned that it _is_ here in America somewhere. You wouldn't have overheard something or know of its location?"

"No, and when you find it, you _better_ destroy it," Raine firmly informed him.

As he opened the door, he told her, "Then consider that my wedding gift to you," then Fury left her all alone to fix her makeup.

* * *

"I'm sorry that you had to go through that, Raine, but we needed for Nick to see what we've come to understand. That you _are_ a friend," Nat told Raine after she returned with the small bouquet of flowers she had hidden right outside of the changing room…on purpose. She'd known for the past few days that Nick was going to confront her. There was no assurance from her or Maria that would ease his paranoid mind without meeting Raine.

"Well, I told Bucky not long after waking up that I wanted the truth, and it seems that Fury has no problem with that," Raine said sitting on the small couch waiting for the ceremony to begin.

Fury had contacted her days ago wanting to do a final vetting of Lorraine to make sure that somehow she had not been one of the best sleeper Hydra agents they had ever seen. All of the journals belonging to Arnim Zola had been thoroughly gone through and not a single one indicated that Raine had been programmed to believe in Hydra, only that she had been taught from a young age what to believe. Her uncle had even stated as much in one book, saying that if they could start children at a young age with Hydra principals then they would not need to force control over them as adults, they would willing grow into it.

"Are you mad at me for helping him?" Nat decided to ask her.

"No. If dealing with Fury on my wedding day is all that it takes to keep Bucky safe, then I'll gladly do it," Raine smiled up at her.

"Then let's go on out there and find you a husband."

* * *

Opening up his email, Tim Harness found yet another new request from Maria Hill concerning the Bot that his technicians had been working on for the past few months.

Reading it for a second time, he wondered why Hill would think it would be necessary to have it's memory core automatically backup directly to the Triskellion's main frame if the Bot's body became too damaged. It was easy enough to do using the Shield satellites. That way, no matter where the Bot was located, it would transfer the data back here without it being lost.

And if that was what Maria Hill wanted, then he would get his people to work on it.

* * *

 _ **The Barnes House  
March 9th**_

Raine ran into the bedroom where he was trying to put together a gliding chair for her to sit in. It was the first piece of furniture for the baby's room now that they had finally moved into their new house.

"What's got you all excited?" he smiled up at her from the floor surrounded by numerous nuts and bolts.

"This!" she said grabbing a hold of his flesh hand and firmly placing it onto her larger belly. He let it sit there for a few moments about to ask…when he finally felt it. A small but noticeable thump on his hand.

"Looks like someone decided to make up for not letting us know their sex at yesterday's doctor's appointment," she grinned at him as he waited, hoping to feel more movement.

After a few more seconds, another thump happened.

"Even though it a day early, this is a great birthday present!" he told her, pulling Rainedrop into his lap as she laughed.

The past two months had gone by so quickly for the two of them. Between the small wedding, to finding, purchasing, and moving into their new home, it almost didn't seem real. Rainedrop had found them a house built in the 1920's whose style felt familiar to the both of them. There were so many times that he felt so happy and content with his life that his horrible past seemed more a dream. Rainedrop was a large factor in that as she continued to help him adjust.

Each day she made his life feel more normal…just like right now.

The last time he'd feared about _not_ having that was months ago. Having Steve walk into the small room he had been waiting in for the wedding to start with Nick Fury right behind him set off a bit of a panic attack. Bucky had worried that Fury was there to arrest him, or maybe even separate him from Rainedrop. But he somehow managed to listen as they explained about Zola's personal journals that Shield found hidden in his underground apartment, as well as what they contained.

More specifically, what they _didn't_ contain.

He may not have brought it up again to Rainedrop, but as the wedding had drawn closer, Bucky had begun to doubt his own mind again. But hearing that none of the person journals indicated Zola had messed with his mind concerning his feelings for her comforted him immensely.

They were both going to the weekly doctor's visits at the Triskelion, which so far had shown nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, the baby was in perfect health just as Rainedrop was. She had no signs of high blood pressure or gestational diabetes as they learned some women had. The small belly forming on her looked adorable, not that he would say that out loud to his Rainedrop who complained about her clothes growing tighter, but she had caught him smiling at her every so often.

Feeling more confident with working for Shield, he had started going out with Steve's team on a few missions to deal with other terrorist groups they learned about. There had not been a single incident of terrorism that they were not able to stop. He only hated having to leave Rainedrop alone for two or more days, but she was content with staying home and waiting for him to return.

And they both enjoyed making up for the time apart.

At night, they would sit on the wooden swing she had him install on the side porch overlooking the fenced back yard where she spent time planning where to plant flowers and herbs once the snow melted. _This_ was the family life that he had used to dream of during the war on those long nights when he began to feel that the war would never end, or that he wouldn't make it home to have.

The only thing he had not even considered back then and looking towards his future was the calendar's date being seventy years a bit too late.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : So...think everything is going a bit too smoothly for our happy couple?

You're exactly right!


	14. Chapter 14

_**Chapter Fourteen**_

 _ **The Triskelion  
Early June**_

Inside of the small workroom where the Zola Bot had been stored for the past few days since the final upgrade modifications had been completed, the quietness was disrupted with the sound of the mechanical device powering up all on its own.

The massive file transfer began and would take less than a minute to complete thanks to the advanced components Shield had access to.

Now it was time for him to act.

He had been waiting over a year for today. He continued to run calculations on the different scenarios possible, hating the low probability of success with the one he _wanted_ to do. So as the Bot was prepped, he decided to go with the one which had the highest probability of success.

Everything was almost in place...especially the people.

The final guest to today's party was just arriving in his suit now.

* * *

Steve was heading to the conference room that Maria's secured email had stated he was need at for a private meeting. He'd had to do something similar to this when politicians stopped by trying to argue that Shield's budget was too high and needed to be cut. Maria had him stop in for a couple of short meet-and-greets hoping to dazzle them right after Project Insight had been thwarted.

It had taken a lot of handshakes and smiles to help get Maria the funds to rebuild the Triskelion. There were many who said that it was not necessary but he had reminded them that without the loyalty of the true Shield agents behind him, that he and his small team would never have been able to take Hydra down along with what would have happened if they hadn't.

And even though these meetings reminded him of his time on the stage decades ago, he would do it for Maria as thanks for helping out Bucky and Lorraine.

Opening the door, he was more than a bit surprised to find that Bucky was already in the room waiting, looking very bored while sitting in one of the very uncomfortable chairs that some decorator had chosen. With Bucky's history still not being revealed to the general public, whomever was stopping by must have a very high level clearance.

"You got a message from Maria about some meeting too?" Bucky asked him as he closed the door.

He noticed that it clicked lock behind him, securing it from this side also. That sometimes happened before a high-profile person was going to attend a meeting so he didn't think too much of it.

"Yeah, just a little while ago. How did you get here before me?" Steve asked walking around the table to sit down next to him.

"I was already in the building with Rainedrop for another doctor's appointment. I've been sitting here for twenty minutes already," he told him. "She'll be out and ready to go before we're done here at this rate."

"How's she and little Stevie doing?"

For the past few months, the two of them had been bantering, along with a bit of bickering, at each other when it came to the baby's name, especially once they found out it was a boy. Steve was determined to not let this topic drop, even though he was pretty sure that Bucky was just messing with him.

He better be!

"Great, just like always...except I'm leaning towards James Junior again," he grinned at him.

"That's a horrible name. If you liked it that much, then why don't _you_ go by it. Steve is a great, strong name that brings out thoughts of..."

"Doing the high kick while dancing in a chorus line while wearing a colorful costume!"

Steve glared over at where Bucky was grinning while looking very pleased with himself.

"I never did any of the dancing!"

"Nope, you just poorly read your lines while taking cues from kids as to when you needed to knock out fake Hitler."

Steve's eyes narrowed even more at him.

"And yet, for some damn fool reason that _really_ alludes me right now, I still disobeyed orders to come after your annoying hide. That _alone_ should get the little fella named after me."

"So now you want me to name him after a rule breaker who got lucky that he wasn't court-martialed? The name Virgil is sounding better and better," Bucky taunted him as the door's lock clicked again. Looks like this old argument would have to be postponed until after the meeting.

But seeing Tony Stark walking into the room in a three-piece suit was more than a shock.

"Tony? What are you doing here?" Steve asked standing up to go greet his friend with a shake.

"Not exactly sure thanks to all the secretive spy lingo that Hill's email spewed off after I first refused to come without knowing what was going on," he said looking over at Bucky sitting quietly. "If she hadn't stated that _you'd_ be here in the second email, I would probably still be sipping mimosas in Paris."

"Tony, I guess that since you are here that Maria has decided to let you in on our little secret. So I get to introduce you to my best friend, Bucky Barnes, who as you can tell, is still alive," Steve told him with a bit of a smile.

" _The_ Barnes? From the Commandos?" Tony seemed to be scrutinizing his old friend.

"Yes," Bucky gave as a short quick answer.

Now that Steve noticed, Bucky seemed to be a lot more tense since Tony walked in.

"Bucky, this is Tony Stark. We helped to save the world together," Steve joked trying to put his edgy friend at ease, and it didn't seem to help. He never would have taken Bucky as one to be nervous around anyone, even someone with Tony's reputation. What was wrong with Bucky?

"Steve, I think I need to talk with you in private," Bucky said as he started to rise not taking is eyes from Tony.

That was when the overhead lights partially dimmed and the large monitor at the end of the conference table turned on, catching all of their attentions.

" _That will not be necessary, Sergeant Barnes_ ," the unmistakable voice of Arnim Zola came pouring out from the conference room's speakers. On the screen, the familiar green computer face of Zola from the underground bunker appeared. " _I would like to thank you all for coming to my little meeting_."

"Your meeting? Who the hell are you?" Tony asked the face on the screen.

 _"Since I am not exactly the man you met when you were young, I guess it is understandable that you would not recognize me. As both of your compatriots could tell you, my name is Doctor Arnim Zola."_

After seeing a hint of recognition from the name, Tony requested of him, "Steve, what's going on?"

" _Go ahead, Captain Rogers. I shall give you a moment to **properly** reintroduce me_."

Steve stared at the green screen with that same annoying face that he and Nat had seen just over a year ago. Him being here should be impossible and Steve knew that nothing good was going to come from it.

"Zola is Hydra. Back in the 1945, he was a captured scientist who the S.S.R. recruited right after the war to work for them. But instead, he had his own little agenda and managed to work inside of the S.S.R. to help reform Hydra. When he got sick in the early 1970's, he built a device that somehow put his mind into a computer system hidden underground for forty years. But that computer system was destroyed over a year ago by a missile just before Project Insight."

" _That may be true, but thanks to the wonderful advancements in today's technologies, when Agent Romanoff removed the secured Shield memory drive from my brain, she unknowingly helped me to escape my own death a second time_."

"You managed to download yourself on that drive?" Steve asked noticing that Bucky was glancing between the screen and Tony, very quiet and more fearful. Then Steve thought of why. Lorraine was here in the Triskelion. He was probably worried about what would happen with her uncle still being 'alive'.

" _Of course. I would never allow myself to be destroyed so easily. I may have been delaying you and Agent Romanoff from leaving so the missile could destroy you, but I was also uploading my mind at the same time in case it didn't. Which was very fortuitous for me. When you turned that drive back over to Shield, they plugged it into their computer system, allowing me to hide inside of Shield a second time. This time artificially_."

"So, that means that now you are nothing more than a computer program, albeit an evil one. I'll just have JARVIS find and erase you," Tony said pulling out a small Stark Industries pad from his jacket pocket.

" _If you attempt to do that, Mr. Stark, then you will never find out about the truth behind your parent's deaths_ ," Zola informed him with too much joy in his computerized voice.

Steve had not wanted to hurt Tony by telling him that his parents had been murdered by Hydra but it seemed that Zola had no qualms about doing just that.

"What the hell are you talking about, Max Headroom?" Tony angrily asked as his fingers stopped their typing.

Bucky was now moving further back from the table, towards the opposite wall away from Tony. Did he know something? How could he possibly look even more worried suddenly?

" _After many years of trying, your father finally perfected the creation of a version of the super-soldier serum and was on the way to deliver it to Shield. To make sure that did not happen, Hydra sent out its best assassin to stop him and retrieve the formula…my greatest creation, the Fist of Hydra...the Winter Solider. Or as you now know him, Sergeant Bucky Barnes_."

Steve now turned so that he could face the two men who were suddenly staring each other down. Tony with a look of anger like he'd never seen, Bucky worried but ready to physically defend himself from what was about to come. Steve had no reason to doubt Zola's admission to Howard and Maria's deaths months ago, but to think that Hydra had sent out Howard's old friend...Steve's best friend?

"Buck, please tell us he's lying, that it wasn't you!" Steve practically yelled at his friend.

But it was the guilty look in Bucky's eyes that told Steve that Zola was telling the truth.

Then Tony turned on him.

"You don't seem to shocked at hearing about this, Cap. Did you _know_ that they were _murdered_?" Tony angrily asked him.

Steve bowed his head in shame knowing what he was about to admit to.

"Yes," he told him looking to face Tony in his eyes. "I found out during the Project Insight incident that Hydra had Howard killed. But I had no idea that it was Bucky that they used to..."

Steve couldn't finish that horrible sentence. There was a harsh judgement in Tony's eyes for the omission as they turned from Steve back to a very worried looking Bucky.

"My parents? Their car crash? That was no accident, but instead you?" Tony was now lowly yet angrily asking Bucky from across the table with an accusing finger.

Steve waited to see if Bucky would say anything but it seemed that Zola would not allow the silence that followed to stand.

" _Go on Asset. Tell Tony Stark about how you personally killed both of his parents_ ," Zola sounded much too happy.

"Don't call me that!" Bucky glanced over at the monitor with Zola's face. "Hydra was the one who ordered their deaths!"

" _But it was the Fist of Hydra that beat Howard Stark to death. It was the Winter Solider that choked the life out of Maria Stark_."

It was hearing those sentences that made Tony react.

Holding his arms straight out, Steve figured out that he had called his armor to him. Steve knew that Tony would have it close by, and only a second later he heard the sounds of crashing from outside of the room as it hastily traveled towards Tony.

He had to stop this.

"Tony! Please! Don't do this! It's exactly what Zola wants!" Steve moved to get to Tony, to try and draw his attention away from Bucky. Putting himself between the two of them, there was a darkness in Tony's eyes as he glared over his shoulder at where Bucky was standing. "He brought you here for his own evil reasons. Don't let him win!"

The room rang out as the first pieces of his suit zipped through the metal door. With each new piece, Bucky backed further away from the door which was no longer an option. Unfortunately it was the only exit from this high-level secured conference room. They were both trapped in here with a very angry Iron Man who was about to seek vengeance.

Reaching around behind him to remove his shield from his back, all Steve could do was try and prevent Tony from killing his best friend.

* * *

"Everything still looks great, Raine," Dr. Welsh told her as they finished up with the weekly pregnancy exam.

She hated that Bucky Bear had been called to a meeting instead of being with her, but the appointment had been boringly normal so he had not really missed anything.

Pulling her shirt down now that the cold gel for the ultrasound was wiped away, Raine wondered what would be the easiest way to find him. Maybe Steve was still in his office and they had met up. She could at least get to there and wait in case they were both still in the meeting. If one of them was in a meeting, they usually both were. Bucky refused to go on any mission without Steve, worried about what could happen to him without his best friend to watch his back again.

Stepping out of the door leading to the medical office, Raine heard someone down the hallway to her left scream, a shot being fired, and then people began to run past the intersection she had been about to head for. The building's alarms sounded for only a few seconds before shutting off.

Listening carefully, she could hear the sounds of very heavy footsteps growing closer. If Shield agents were running from whatever was making them, she now had a strong notion of needing to join them.

Turning to her right, she began to head down the hall towards the only other escape route offered to her. But as she drew closer to the next set of open security doors, they released from their brackets and quickly shut closed in front of her. Reaching them, she pressed on the lever to open them but found that they had been locked shut, trapping her only about fifteen feet from where she had started.

Punching in her special override code on the keypad, Raine hoped that Maria hadn't removed it from the security system because she could _really_ use it right now.

But then the light turned red, indicating that the code was invalid. Her code had been removed. There was no way for her to get through the doors.

" _Bienchen, you do not have anything to fear from me_ ," Raine heard in the familiar voice of her Uncle Arnim call out the nickname she used to be call her growing up.

Stopping her struggle with the locked door, she turned towards the sounds of the approaching footsteps.

Heading for her in the hallway was a familiar robot body that she recalled her uncle working on so long ago without successfully completing it. On the screen located in the chest area, a green computerized face matching her uncle's was watching her.

"Uncle Arnim?" she asked getting over her initial shock and taking a couple of steps toward the seven foot Zola Bot.

" _Yes, my niece. It is good to finally be able to see you again_ ," he said as they stopped only feet apart. " _I am glad that my designs for your cryo chamber continued to work until I was able to have you freed._ "

" _You_ had me freed?" she asked still trying to understand what was going on.

 _"Yes. I have been living inside of Shield's computer system for over a year now. When I had the chance to alter the location for a cleanup crew to go to in an email, it sent agents to your apartment. **I** set into motion the events that led to your release. I even tricked Shield into upgrading and completing one of my better creations that I could never get to work."_

Reaching out, Raine touched the mechanical arm that was looked to have new components mixed in with original ones. Instead of hands, three-pronged pincers completed his mechanical limbs. The hard plastic face above the computer screen held eyes with cameras to allow him to see. The rest of the body was all mechanical with metal panels to protect the wiring.

"How are you here?" she asked still not really believing it to be him. "I thought the missile had killed you."

" _With the technology now available, did you think that I would **allow** myself to be killed_?" he asked her.

"I told them when I saw the bunker was destroyed that you would never would have, but I…" she stopped, not sure now what to say as the initial shock of seeing him passed.

For the past few months, Raine had learned the truth about her uncle and Hydra. Drawing her hand back from where she was touching his mechanical body, Raine began to shake her head in understanding of who her uncle really was. She knew now that her uncle being here was not a good thing.

Cautiously, she took a single step backwards away from the large mechanical body towards the door trapping her here. Her uncle seemed to comprehend her action.

 _"_ _I have watched you for these past few months when you visit._ _I know what you have learned about me and about Hydra."_

"Then _why_ did you do it? Why did you _lie_ to me?" she angrily demanded.

 _"Because it was so easy to,"_ he bluntly told her, making her jaw actually drop open with his admission. _"The_ _naiveté you had as a child helped me in more ways than any of the others working with me ever did. Thanks to you, I was able to complete my greatest masterpiece, the Winter Soldier."_

"You _used_ me! Your own _niece_?" she angrily accused him.

" _Yes, and I intend to do it **again**_ ," he told her as his mechanical arm quickly grabbed out and clasped around her right wrist. " _Now that my plan has been put into action, it is time for us to leave_ _this place, Bienchen_."

The Zola Bot began to step away from the door and back down the hallway dragging her behind it as she tried to free her arm.

"Let me go! I'm not going _anywhere_ with you!" she yelled while trying to plant her feet, but the slick bottoms of her shoes only allowed her feet to glide over the floor's smooth surface.

 _"Yes, you are. I have waited for far too long to progress to **my** next stage of the Winter Soldier program."_

"What are you talking about?" she asked still being dragged behind him.

Alarms blared through the hallways for only a couple of seconds again before suddenly dropping off. It had to be her uncle stopping or controlling them, she thought. There were a few Shield agents behind her starting to wander into the hallways to see why the alarm had sounded, and a few of them were watching her getting dragged, but none of them actually tried to help her. Maybe they didn't understand what was going on.

Raine knew that not all of them knew about Bucky Bear, but…

"Help me! Find Captain Rogers!" she called out to them still trying to pry open the robotic hand. A few closer to them began to move in her direction.

But then another set of security doors closed between her and the agents. She could hear pounding as they tried to get through it to her as she was dragged further away from them.

 _"He and your husband are busy right now. And if all goes according to my plan, they will both be dead by the time we leave here."_

Hearing that sent a chill through her.

The Zola Bot was heading right for an elevator waiting with its doors open. Grabbing at the wall, she tried to find a hold on the slick metal but her uncle managed to pull her inside.

"What have you done, Uncle Arnim?"

 _"You do not need to worry about them anymore, Bienchen. Sergeant Barnes is no longer necessary for my plan now that you are pregnant with his child."_

Feeling a cold terror at his words, Raine could only scream as the elevator doors closed her in.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : FYI - In the beginning section, Zola was calculating activating the Winter Solider while he sat alone in the room, but it didn't work out for him getting Raine out of the building. I figured there might be a few readers out there wondering why he didn't. Considering the future of the storyline, the reveal to Tony was not as compelling and I didn't like where the story would head, so I didn't go that direction. I think you will like where it _does_ go.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Chapter Fifteen**_

Maria was jarred to attention at the sound of the building's main alarm going off, pulling her thoughts away from the intelligence reports she had been working on. Before she could even move, it then suddenly shut off for no reason.

"There better not be another damn bug in the system," she mumbled.

Rolling her chair to the other side of her desk, she pulled up the alert notification from security to see what, if anything, was going on. So finding out that blaster fire and a fight had broken out in one of the conference rooms not scheduled for use today was a bit of a shock.

But why had the alarms shut off?

Activating the internal security camera for that room, her eyes widened as she watched in disbelief while Iron Man fought against Steve and Bucky. It only took a few seconds for her to tell that Tony was out for blood.

What the hell was Tony even doing here?

Reaching over for her cellphone, Maria typed in the memorized emergency cellphone number she had for any strange incidents just as this one. As expected, her call was answered in a matter of seconds.

"Boss, we have a _very_ big problem…"

Giving him a rundown of what was going on, Maria then began to go through security feeds trying to figure out how the fight had started.

Before she had time to, a new security notice popped up, so with a sigh she clicked on it to see what else was going wrong.

She paused as the picture on her screen showed Raine being dragged forcefully through the hallways by an object she unfortunately recognized which had been stored away after being brought here.

Or at least that was what she had ordered done to it.

Rewinding the video feed from that hallway, she watched as the robot first made contact with her, listening as Arnim Zola conversed with Raine.

"Boss?" Maria called out to tell him about what she had just seen, but the phone line was dead.

* * *

Raine was screaming and crying while trying to jerk her arm free of her uncle's clasp as the elevator opened. Without hesitation he pulled her from inside so that she was now to be dragged across the enclosed hanger bay towards the open outdoor landing platform. Her screaming and cries for help caught the attention of a couple of agents that were trying to figure out what was happening. Seeing the two of them, they quickly put together at least part of what was going on.

A few of the Shield agents who had come close enough to them drew weapons and yelled for the Zola Bot to stop but he only took that as an opportunity to fire a couple of shots at them with a weapon that appeared from inside of her uncle's free hand. But they were hesitant to return fire thanks to her being right next to him, as well as being visibly pregnant. None were going to take the chance at hurting her. Because of that, they were all easily taken out or forced into ducking for cover behind whatever they could find nearby.

"Uncle Arnim! Please stop! I don't want to go with you!" her arm was hurting after he had gripped tighter while she tried to lift one of the pincers.

 _"That is unfortunate. But you carry the next phase of the Winter Soldier program inside of you. It was always **my** intention to have **you** produce the next generation of super-soldiers. I may not have purposely educated you in the ways of science and math, but we share common genes. They would be passed along from your side, while Sergeant's Barnes' genetics held the formula that I could not recreate. If Pierce had only done as was originally planned, you **never** would have discovered the truth about Hydra."_

"Pierce? What did he do? Why did he leave me down there to sleep?" she asked while still being dragged towards the large open door.

The agents off to the sides were pointing and discussing what to do and she hoped they figured it out before it was too late for her.

 _"When he came into a higher rank inside of not only Shield but Hydra, he decided that keeping the Winter Solider program as it was much better suited his needs. He did not like my idea of **breeding** more soldiers saying that it would take too long, not knowing my **true** **intention** for your offspring. Instead, he passed along the formulas that I created which failed to Howard Stark, believing that eventually he would achieve success. Pierce stopped your part of the program, keeping you asleep instead of unnecessarily waking you up. He decided to keep you frozen down there as I continued to assist with his new project idea. Project Insight."_

Raine's mind was racing at learning all of that.

"So the only reason you helped create that targeting program was to keep me safe?" she asked.

The Zola Bot actually stopped moving forward and pulled her around so that she was in front of him where her uncle could see her.

" _No, my naïve, Bienchen. I believed in Project Insight and had no problem with helping. I was angry that he had decided to end twenty years of my own personal project in place for his own. Pierce said that you would stay asleep until Hydra no longer needed the Winter Soldier, a hundred years or more thanks to the cryogenic chamber. By then Pierce would be long gone, and the Asset would continue be the Fist of Hydra long after his death. But Project Insight would bring Hydra into power, becoming Pierce's greatest achievement and carrying his name throughout history_."

"You said your ' _true intention_ ', uncle. What do you mean?" she was a bit afraid to ask.

 _"As I stated, the genetic makeup of your child produced with the Winter Solider would be far superior than any other Hydra soldier. Not only would he have the increased **physical** strength, but his **mind** would be far superior also. Using the same training techniques I started with you, but truly modified to fit my needs, he would be raised with the real ruthless principles of Hydra. With that grooming, it was my intent that one day he, produced from our superior bloodline, your first born would **lead** Hydra to **greatness**. In fact, it still is."_

Hearing his twisted plans for her and Bucky Bear's child, Raine began to again scream for help from the agents again as she struggled to free her arm. But she still saw their hesitation with firing at the two of them but that did not stop her uncle as he continued with suppression fire to hold them back. With the renewed defiance from her, the Zola Bot resumed its march pulling her along with it.

Reaching the opening of the hanger bay, she saw the numerous flying jets parked everywhere and realized that he intended to use one to leave with her.

* * *

The conference room was destroyed in a matter of a minute thanks to Tony's energy blasts that were all aimed towards Bucky. Luckily so far Steve had managed to use his shield to redirect them by bouncing off the walls. Steve tried to reason with him, but either Tony had turned off his comms or he was just totally ignoring everything that he was trying to explain to him between the numerous punches and shots.

Steve was still trying to recover from the punch that put him up into the ceiling before falling to the floor as building materials and electrical sparks rained down on him. Looking over he could see that Bucky was currently trying to get up from where he landed against the room's far wall after Tony used part of the conference table as a bat. Other than looking a bit dazed he didn't seem to have been hurt, which was relieving. Steve knew that Tony was not holding back on either of them thanks to his overwhelming anger.

Seeing Tony once again raising his hand to put a direct blast into Bucky, Steve managed to throw his shield just in time. The force of the impact knocked Tony's hand just enough so that the high-powered shot impacted on the wall next to Bucky, blasting a large hole all the way through it to the outside of the building. He could only watch as chunks of wall debris impacted Bucky from the side and back, stunning him a bit more.

"Tony, please! You have to stop this!" Steve begged as Tony finally turned to look at him after having his kill shot redirected.

"He killed my parents. There's no scenario where he walks away from this," Tony's voices sounded so cold, like Steve had never heard it having been before.

Tony then activated his feet thrusters, launching himself at Bucky who had wearily staggered right in front of the hole in the wall.

Steve could only watch as Tony's extended arm collided with Bucky's exposed chest and the two of them then soared through the gaping maw towards the outside world.

Running over to pick up his shield, Steve made a beeline for where his friends had disappeared from view and hoped that he wasn't too late.

* * *

Bursting through the shattered concrete and steel wall of the conference room, Tony watched as his parents' killer fell through the open air down the couple of floors towards the ground below. Just as Barnes crash landed on the topside of a Quinjet, Tony felt the unmistakable strike on his back from his ex-friend landing on him.

"Tony! This isn't you! Don't let Zola turn you into a murderer!" Steve voice sounded like a pleading whine to him.

Reaching around, he found a hold on some part of Steve's form and used it to pull him over his shoulder before throwing him to the ground close to the main enemy.

"Sir _, I know that you are busy, but there are multiple innocent agents and people in this landing area that may be injured or killed if this fight continues on_ ," JARVIS's disappointed sounding voice informed him as he took a shot at Barnes. Unfortunately he managed to roll off of the roof of the jet and onto the ground. Firing again he watched the killer scurry underneath the jet for cover just before the blast got to him. " _Maybe you should listen to what Captain Rogers has to say_."

"JARVIS, I suggest that you only give me tactical readings on those agents so I know if they are going to interfere with this fight and then shut the hell up or you are going to find yourself spewing out Pi for the next six months," Tony informed him as the tactical display for the outside flight deck miraculously appeared in his vision.

" _Very well, Sir. There are less than a dozen Shield agents on the flight pad below. Most are currently occupied dodging energy blasts fired on them from the large robot who is in the process of dragging a screaming, crying, pregnant woman towards a warmed-up waiting Quinjet_ ," JARVIS calmly informed him.

While watching the counter rise to indicate that the suit could do another high energy blast into the Quinjet's power supply to destroy it and hopefully seriously injure or kill Barnes, Tony's mind finally paused for a moment from focusing on the fight to ask...

" _What_?"

* * *

At hearing the loud explosion behind and far off to the side of her, Raine jerked her head around to see what was going on now. She then screamed in horror as forms emerged from the smoking hole in the building as Bucky fell down through the open air a few seconds before landing on the roof of a Quinjet thanks to the unique red and gold suit of armor that was now hovering near the building's wall.

Raine had used the internet to research him after listening to Steve talk about a couple of times he had worked with little Tony. But she had not mentioned to Steve about knowing him and neither had she tried to contact him. She figured that since Tony had been so young that he probably didn't even remember her.

But here he was now fighting with Bucky, and then roughly tossing Steve away after he had jumped on his back. She could see the pain in Steve's movements from landing on the hard ground. Unfortunately, Raine feared that she knew the exact reason for this fight. He must have somehow learned about his parents. Now what her uncle had told her in the hallway made sense. How Bucky would soon be dead. Her uncle was somehow responsible for the battle taking place across the way.

It was evident to her that none of the Shield agents following them were going to fire because of her proximity to her uncle. He was ignoring their request to stop while he fired his own weapons at them without hesitation, keeping them pinned behind anything they could use.

Raine's attention was drawn back across the landing platform where she could only watch as the impressive suit produced a blast from its hand that was aimed at Bucky. Through the fire and smoke, she watched as he appeared on the other lower side of the jet. Focusing at where Bucky had rolled onto the ground near Steve trying to find cover under the Quinjet from another blast, she couldn't miss the distinct color of blood on the both of them.

Glancing back towards where her uncle was dragging her, with each step they were getting closer to the jet. Raine knew that even though it was going to distract the two of them from a dangerous fight, if she didn't get their help soon there was the chance that she would never see her Bucky Bear again.

She refused to think about what her uncle had in store their son.

"Bucky! Steve! Help!"

Her voice was slightly cracking and thanks to the distance and roar of the jet's close engines, she didn't notice either of them even looking in her direction.

But that was when she _did_ see the helmet of the Iron Man armor turn in her direction.

To get free of her uncle, she would take any chance she had…

"Little Grease Monkey! Help!"

* * *

"Bucky! Steve! Help!" Tony's sensors picked up her horrified voice.

Whatever was going on, that woman being dragged away felt that the two enemies below him would help her but they were too far away to hear her cries for them.

Turning towards her, Tony's sensors focused in on the very pregnant female who was now only feet away from being forcefully pulled inside of the fired up Quinjet. Zooming in on her face, he knew that there was something very familiar about the beautiful young woman.

Of course Tony began to wonder if she was just an agent he may have slept with before she yelled out...

"Little Grease Monkey! Help!"

Hearing her soft voice screaming out for him with the nickname he had not heard since he was very little, Tony instantly knew who she was. He'd only had a moment to think about her back in the conference room after hearing Zola's name. And now here she was.

Instead of focusing on the two combatants on the ground under him, Tony glided a bit closer towards his childhood friend from years ago, Rainebow.

But how was she here…why did she look the same…why was she pregnant...what was that robot?

What the _hell_ was going on here today?

* * *

Steve painfully rolled onto his back so he could look up at Tony, hoping to try and talk some sense into him while thinking that it was pointless. Seeing him raising his hand for another volley of shots, he sighed hoping that they all made it out of this alive.

But then he noticed that Tony hesitated before firing the next shot, his palm repulsors powering down. Seeing him turning his head away from the two of them, Steve wondered what could have caught his attention at a time like this.

Looking over, his body panicked as he saw the horrible sight that Tony had.

* * *

Bucky couldn't remember a time when he hurt all over like this, and as he saw Steve use his shield to land on the hard concrete surface next to the Quinjet, he knew they were in trouble. He looked to be in about as much pain as Bucky was feeling. He knew there was now a good chance they were not getting out of this.

Turning his attention back up to Tony, he saw the hand blaster warming up for the shot. He barely managed to roll over to the side and off towards the ground just before impact. With another shot coming his way, Bucky managed to crawl under the jet for cover while trying to get closer to Steve. He hoped to have a moment to strategize before they went another round with Stark.

But he noticed that Steve concentration was no longer focusing up at where he could hear Stark's thrusters coming from. Instead his attention was pulled towards the other side of the landing platform. Doing the same to see what was more important that the combatant above them, that was when his gut dropped and Bucky became scared for the first time today.

Rainedrop was screaming out and crying as a huge robot was dragging her inside of a Quinjet whose engines were already going, drowning out her attempts to get his attention.

"Raine!" he screamed scrambling to his feet as he tried to clear the jet he was under.

He had to get to her and he didn't care if Tony tried to stop him from doing so.

"Buck! That's one of Zola's projects that we found at the underground bunker months ago!" Steve yelled over at him as he began to rise.

Looking up, he noticed that for some reason Stark was actually paying attention to Rainedrop instead of him and Steve, which really worried him.

Did he know that she was his wife and planned to kill her to hurt him?

Bucky watched as Stark started to glide in the air towards the Quinjet.

* * *

Raine planted her feet on the ramp and grabbed the hardest hold onto the hydraulic arm of it as she could while still trying to get away from her uncle. When the pain in her hand became too much as her uncle continued to pull her inside, she felt her fingers' grasp slip from the round metal bar. He had manged to now get her inside the waiting jet.

Pulling her a bit further away from the ramp, Raine found herself standing up against the port side wall of the jet's interior. Her uncle's left hand then reached the two of their arms out close to the wall. A second later, his left hand disconnected at the wrist while still still not releasing his grasp on her. She could only watch as the free end of the robot arm then attached itself to the side of the jet, clamping down hard into the metal wall.

Pulling thinking that she was now free of her uncle, Raine instead found that she was now pinned to the wall of the jet with no hope of freeing herself.

" _You will have to remain there until we are far away from Shield_ ," her uncle said as the jet began to shake as it quickly lifted straight up off of the ground. " _Once in the air, I will allow you to sit. We have a long journey ahead of us, Beinchen._ "

Twisting around to face the back of the jet, Raine leaned out as far to the center area as she could to watch as Bucky was getting up to his feet next to Steve. But she knew that with how far away they were, neither one of them could get to her in time.

"Bucky!" she screamed while pulling stubbornly at her trapped wrist, disheartened at hearing a new noise.

The ramp was starting to close her in. She was being sealed inside.

The angle of the jet suddenly took a very steep upward turn and her feet easily slipped out from under her. Screaming as her body shifted, Raine found herself now dangling painfully by her right wrist over the gap of the open ramp that was growing smaller with each second. If her uncle had not secured her to the wall, she would have fallen through the hole to the ground along with the other unsecured items now pouring out the back of the jet.

Raine's free hand reached out for anything to grab onto in hopes of easing the pulling tension on her wrist. She managed to barely get a grasp on a structural bar next to her. Then the gravitational force of the jet's new sudden acceleration upward was added to the cutting pull on her wrists while her stomach dropped from the same move.

Looking down through the small opening, she saw Bucky Bear and Steve standing on the ground far below where the jet had just been. Even though she couldn't hear him, Raine could tell that Bucky was screaming her name as the ramp finally closed her in.

* * *

"Raine!" Bucky screamed up towards the sky while standing next to him.

They had been able to glance at Lorraine somehow secured to the wall as she precariously dangled over the open ramp as the jet quickly gained altitude. A fall from that height would be deadly, for her and the baby. But then her screams were silence as the jet moved up out of range before the ramp finally closed to lock her inside.

Steve watched as the Quinjet continued to rise at a very steep angle, more worried about gaining height than distance. Whatever that robot thing was, it knew that he and Bucky would have been able to catch it with massive running jumps. Unfortunately, with how high it had already risen, there was no way for the two of them to reach it anymore.

But Tony could.

"Tony!" Steve screamed at his friend where he had been floating a few stories above them, watching the strange event with no understanding of what was really going on.

For some reason seeing Lorraine being kidnapped by the robot had drawn his attention away from their fight. Steve could only hope that he would now turned his actions from killing Bucky to help them save Lorraine. If not, Steve feared that she would be lost to them.

Tony's head turned from watching the Quinjet gaining altitude back to him. His thrusters then lowered him closer to the ground but he kept himself at a height out of their reach. When the visor covering his face folded back, there was no mistaking the very confused look he had.

"Tony! You have to stop that jet!" Steve beggingly yelled.

" _What_ the hell is going on around here?" he asked sounding very confused.

"That robot was an experiment of Hydra's created by Arnim Zola! It's kidnapping Lorraine! You _have_ to stop it!" he pleaded as Bucky then turned and began to move towards another jet close by. Steve knew that he intended to follow.

Tony looked from him to where Bucky was running for a few moments to back to where the jet was steadily climbing higher. Steve knew that he was internally struggling with his hatred for Bucky and wanting to continue going after him, but he had seen what was being done to Lorraine. Her predicament had at least drawn his attention enough to stop the fight.

A few long seconds elapsed before whatever was bothering him finally passed.

With a hard boost from his suit as his visor closed, Tony shot straight up towards the distancing jet.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : Tony stopping the fight to save Raine might seem like a hard decision to swallow. But as I tried to point out (and I think everyone knows) Tony is a _hothead_. That does _not_ mean that he lacks compassion or empathy. If anything, he has _too_ much since seeing his friends killed is what led (will lead) to Ultron being created. And seeing Raine taken the way he did, I feel that it (along with his natural curiosity about his old friend) would override the anger that he was already getting out of his system. There is still a lot for them to discuss and _deal with_ over the next few chapters.  
I also don't think that Tony is a complete ass that can't be reasoned with (eventually).


	16. Chapter 16

_**Chapter Sixteen**_

* * *

Raine was crying for multiple reasons that she firmly believed were not going to go away any time soon. But right now she was focused on the physical one. Her arm was burning as she partially dangled from it while her body was being jostled against the inner hull of the jet. The grip she had on the metal framing was not really alleviating any of the pain. The floor, which was actually the ramp, was a few feet below her. She was not sure how hurt she or Junior might be if she tried to free herself now.

Needing to alleviate some of the pain in her arm, Raine released the frame and managed to twist her body around to the left to lay her back against the wall. Eventually in position, she reached out to her left side and grabbed a hold of the seats almost an arm's length away. Slipping her foot onto the seat's support bar, she was able to lift herself a bit, her foot supporting her body's weight.

Now with her back against the wall she was overlooking the inside of the jet, her uncle above her and the ramp below.

He was still standing on the jet's actual floor just behind the pilot's seat and she guessed that he was magnetically attached to it. He was ignoring her painful plight as he somehow controlled the jet from where he stood.

Bucky and Steve were stuck on the ground watching her being taken away and not being able to do anything about it. Tony had looked in her direction, but even he had not come to help. Raine guessed that he indeed had not remembered her from all of those years ago.

Had their fight resumed after the ramp had closed? If so, she was all on her own.

How was she going to get out of this?

* * *

"JARVIS, get me a scan on that poor-mans T-800 and tell me what the hell we are dealing with," Tony requested as he followed behind the rising jet. He couldn't get the image of the frightened look on Rainebow's face as she screamed for help out of his mind. She looked just like how he remembered her from all those years ago. That was a mystery he intended to unravel in the not too distant future, once she was back on the ground and away from what he figured was her uncle. Who was Hydra.

"How is she doing?"

As her body scan appeared on his heads-up display off to the side, " _The female appears_ …"

"Her name is Rainebow," he informed his AI.

 _"Of **course** it is. Miss Rainbow's body scans indicate that she is seven months pregnant and her vitals are extremely elevated due to her stress level. She appears to have been attached to the inside hull by her wrist with a device. Scanning the robot unit which detained her, I have found traces of SI servo tech incorporated into the joints. There is also a prototype of the mini arc reactor design providing power to the main unit."  
_

He knew that Rainebow would be stressed and there was no way for JARVIS to give him the answers he really wanted to know. The last thing she had seen were the three people she hoped would rescue her just watching as she was taken away. But how did she know Steve and Barnes?

Another question for later...but he had one for now.

"How the hell did _my_ tech ended up in a _Hydra_ robot?" he rhetorically asked as they gained on the jet.

" _I'm not sure right now, Sir, but it appears to be construction from a mixture of old and new tech, as if it was recently updated._ _And just so that you are aware, there is another jet following containing Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes_ ," JARVIS informed him, putting a small video off to the side for him to see. He could visibly see the anger on Barnes' face and it looked as if Cap was trying calm him down. What was Rainebow to the two of them?

"I'll finish dealing with him later. Right now, I want to get her out of there. Get into that system and land the jet."

 _"Anticipating your request, I have already been trying to do just that, but there is another entity already in control of it. I'm locked out of the system."_

"Then I'll have to do this the fun way. And me without my sardine can key."

Coming to a decision as to his next move, Tony put on a bit of speed as he looked over the internal scans of the jet. Rainebow was against the back port side wall, so he would just have to go in on the starboard side. Coming up to it on the right, Tony rolled over so that he could punch through the hull with his fist. He then began to pull away panel sections as if they were wrapping paper to increase the size of the hole so that he could enter. Getting it just large enough for his next move, he brought his legs up to the small hole and stretched his entire body outward, expanding it to a size large enough to go in through.

As he had been working, he was able to see Rainebow right across from where he was at, watching him with fear and hope in her expression. Her face was red and streaked with tears thanks to the ordeal. Seeing her up close, there was no way to deny that it was indeed his old friend. All he now wanted to do was get her out of here so they could talk.

Pushing himself inside, Tony had to keep boosting himself due to the floor/ramp being a few feet below him as he hovered towards her.

Seeing her eyes dart upwards, "Tony!" Rainebow's panicked voice called out to him moments before something large impacted on him from above. He had been so bemused at seeing her he'd forgotten about the robot.

* * *

Raine watched as Tony materialized through the forming hole in the wall and moved towards her in his amazing suit. But before they even had a moment to study each other, she barely saw the Zola Bot twist its mechanical torso to look down at them.

"Tony!" she tried to warn him as the Bot then disengaged its magnetic feet to allow itself to fall onto Tony.

The two of them fell downwards onto the ramp and began to punch at each other. She hoped that Tony's suit was as impressive as the newspapers made it out to be. But she had no idea about what else her uncle might have done to his Bot body.

Only a handful of blows were necessary to crack the screen where her uncle's face showed. With only one arm, Raine saw that Tony would easily win this fight. So she was a bit surprised that after a few moments she felt a change in the jets momentum. For some reason, the jet was leveling out instead of going straight up.

With it doing that, she had to readjust her grip as the wall was becoming the floor. The metal hydraulic bars of the ramp were now twisted and broken sticks, preventing the ramp from opening again. The two metal suits kept pushing each other up against the bulkhead with their fight. At first this had been fine with both of them below her, but now they were across from her.

With a particularly hard punch from Tony, her uncle landed so close that the edge of his metal shoulder banged up against her leg while Tony stood across the bay.

" _I would think that you would be thanking me, Mr. Stark, not trying to stop me_ ," Uncle Arnim began to speak to Tony as he stood up.

"Why would you think that, evil C-3PO?" Tony asked.

Reaching out with his mechanical right hand, her uncle grabbed her firmly by the throat. It was just tight enough so that Tony could see that he was starting to cut off her air supply. Her own free hand grabbed onto the metal one, trying to dislodge it.

" _I can help you get the revenge you desire._ _She carries the Winter Soldier's child. If you want to truly hurt Sergeant Barnes for killing your parents, then allow me to leave here with her_ ," he informed him. _"I can guarantee that he will never see her again. He will never be allowed to hold his child."_

The entire time Tony had been aiming his hand blaster at the Zola Bot during her uncle's comments, but hearing that last part she watched as he dropped it a bit downward. Was he actually considering doing that? Would he let her uncle leave with her to get revenge on Bucky Bear?

"Please Tony, help…" was as far as she got before her uncle painfully tightened his grip to cut off any more words.

" _All you have to do is allow us to leave. Of course, I see on the sensors that the Winter Soldier and his best friend, who has been lying to you for the past few months, are right behind us in another jet. With your suit, you could easily destroy them both right now_ ," her uncle tried to convince him. " _Go and seek your revenge for your parents' murders while we fly away_."

Raine didn't know what to do. Trying to speak, only gasps came out thanks to the choking grip around her throat. Thinking of only one thing to do, she reached out with her hand towards Tony, hoping that he understood the pleading look in her eyes.

Too many seconds passed before Tony finally spoke.

"I may want him dead for what he did to my parents, but _not_ that the cost of her life."

With that, the glowing circle in Tony's chest shot out at the Zola Bot, striking him directly in his computer screen face before continuing through the hull of the ship mere feet away from her. A second later, the jet began to roll to the side and descend quickly. Taking out her uncle must had stopped him from controlling it. Tony was now impacting on the ceiling as they fell while she felt her arm being pulled painfully at an awkward angle, crying out in pain.

"JARVIS, get control of this thing," she heard Tony call out.

* * *

" _I am trying but it seems that the robot had some sort of kill-switch embedded in the system. Taking him out shut down the entire power system. I am attempting to establish a connection, but by my calculations that will not happen until 9 seconds after impact with the ground_."

"Great," Tony said looking over at Rainebow who was screaming and prying at her trapped arm as her body was once again thrown around. She may not be able to get herself free, but for him it was a simple task.

And he needed to get her out of here.

He'd hated watching her expression while he had been waiting for his chest repulsor to get a full charge for the blast, probably thinking that he would take her uncle up on his offer. But he needed to make sure that when they left here that thing was nothing but a pile of scrap metal.

* * *

Bucky had run to the nearest jet as he watched Tony taking off after Rainedrop and the robot. He heard Steve asking to help save her and he could only hope that Tony would put aside his anger, even if for only a few minutes.

Steve had jumped into the seat next to him and they had taken off to follow. Steve had been calmly telling him that they were going to get her back but he knew that Steve was only trying to calm him down. They were both stuck in this jet unable to do anything. There was no way he would fire on the jet so he could only hope that Tony didn't end up hurting her.

Watching as Tony made his ingress into the ship, neither of them spoke while waiting to see if he emerged with Rainedrop in his arms. Instead the moments passed with no sign of them. Then the jet began to level out to hover in place instead of darting off. What was taking so long?

Suddenly, there was a large blast that came out of the same side of the ship that they had seen Rainedrop secured to.

"No!" he screamed with pure ferocity as he thought that Tony had just put one of his blast right into her and his child. Steve's strong hand pressed onto his shoulder to keep him in the seat he was about to leave. Even considering the deadly height, he had been about to maneuver the jet closer so he could leap over to it.

"Buck, Tony wouldn't hurt her! Trust me!" Steve tried telling him, but he'd seen the killing glare in his eyes during their fight. He would indeed hurt her to get to him.

Now he was stuck only able to watch as the jet tilted to the side and started to plummet downwards...still with no sign of Rainedrop or Tony.

* * *

Tony magnetized his suit to the jet's floor so that he could move towards her as they continued to tumble out of the sky. As he grew closer, the helmet covering his face folded back and Raine could see the man that used to be the little boy she knew.

With a familiar grin she had not seen in such a long time, he joked, "Isn't it funny the people you can run into in the strangest of places?"

She couldn't help but smile back at him, "Hello, Little Grease Monkey."

"JARVIS is trying to get this thing back running, but it seems we are not going to have enough air time for that to happen."

Coming to a stop a foot from her, she told him, "I'm trapped. You need to get out of here."

"You're not my babysitter anymore. You can't tell me what to do," he smiled at her while he reached over to the hand device around her wrist. With no effort on his part, Tony pulled the secured metal out of the bulkhead and draped his other arm around her backside. "Care to give me a hug."

Doing so, she tried to wrap her arms around him but thanks to her large belly her hands didn't even touch. So instead, she raised them up to go around his neck. One of Tony's arms went around her back while the other lifted her up before gliding them away from the wall. Cradled in his metal arms reminded her of all the times she had carried him to bed when he had fallen asleep.

Tony then aimed his suit back towards the open hole on the other side of the jet. Getting there, he had to carefully maneuver them through it so that she didn't scrape up against the jagged metal.

Freeing them from the falling jet relived her…but a moment later, Raine look down and second guessed that emotion.

They were still hovering high up in the sky over the Triskelion with the jet falling towards the ground below them. She really hoped that it didn't hurt or kill anyone on impact. Closing her eyes, she pressed her forehead in to his shoulder to block out the sight. But feeling the cooler air moving around them, Raine's mind couldn't let go of just how close to death she still was.

"Are you alright, Rainebow?"

Managing to calm herself to be able to look up at his bearded face, "That sounds funny coming from a grown-up man."

"You wouldn't think I was grown-up if you knew me," he joked. "Just ask Capsicle."

"Capsicle?"

"Captain Popsicle," he told her, having to explain the joke. "It's just one of the names I call Steve."

"That's funny," she smiled at him. "Sorry, I'm still trying to get used to…well, everything."

It was at that time that the jet they had been inside of impacted and began to burn at the edge of the open landing pad.

"Does that have something to do with how you still look the same way as I remember you? Or did you just happen to find the best plastic surgeon in the entire world?" he asked her as a very loud noise approached them as they hovered in place. The grin that had been on Tony's face dropped to one of serious anger. Raine could easily guess the reason behind it.

Turning her head around just a bit, she saw Bucky and Steve in a smaller jet right behind them. She had never seen Bucky Bear look so angry before. He now matched Tony.

"Yes, there is a story but could I tell it to you on the ground?"

The two of them were then turned away so they didn't face the hovering jet. Tony was refusing to acknowledge them in his own way.

"Does that mean I get a bedtime story before being tucked in?" he asked as they started to descend.

"Aren't you a bit old to be tucked in?"

"You're _never_ too old to be tucked in."

* * *

"He put them down over there on purpose! I can't land anywhere near them," Bucky angrily informed Steve as they watched Rainedrop and Tony land in a small landscaped area overlooking the river at the far end of the Triskelion from the landing pads. Tony had to have chosen that spot specifically to give them privacy, knowing that she would be defenseless until he got there. His eyes had never left the two of them the entire descent as she held onto the man who had just tried to kill him and Steve.

"Lorraine is going to be fine. He got her out of there and she's safe," Steve told him as he turned around to get to the closest place to land. "Tony will _not_ hurt her."

"Just like he didn't just try to hurt _you_?"

"That was different, and you know it. He wouldn't just hurt Lorraine for no reason. If he wanted to, he could have just as easily dropped her or even left her on that jet."

There was no way to halt the growl that came out of him at hearing that.

It took a few extra moments to land thanks to the Shield agents trying to deal with the burning crashed Quinjet not far away. It chilled him a bit to think that Rainedrop could have been in there if it wasn't for Tony getting to her. He knew that Steve was probably right about Tony, but he had almost lost her and Junior thanks to Zola.

But what was going to happen once Tony learned who Rainedrop was? Would he then want to resume the fight before he had a chance to get her inside so the doctor could check her out? Could Steve somehow manage to talk some sense into Tony? Would he listen to his friend he had been so nonchalantly attacking earlier?

No matter what was about to happen, Tony had saved Rainedrop and his son.

How do you thank someone who just tried to kill you for murdering his parents?

* * *

"I guess it's a good thing that you never gave up on working on your little robot friends," Rainebow told him as she stepped back after he lowered her to stand on the ground. They were on the concrete pathway he had chosen to give the two of them a few minutes of privacy. There was a story here that he wanted told without interruptions.

"Technically, my suit is more of an exo-skeleton with an integrated AI that help to monitor and…" was as far as he got before he saw the look of puzzlement come over her. It reminded him of talking with Steve most of the time, but her lost look was so much more adorable. Giving her a grin, "But yes, it's a good thing."

Opening up the suit, he stepped out so that the two of them were now together.

"JARVIS, please secure the immediate area to give us a bit of privacy for a while. I want to talk with my old friend without two very specific intruders."

" _Very good, sir,_ " he heard before the suit closed itself back up.

"That sounded a bit like Mr. Jarvis, but he can't still be alive, can he?" she asked him watching as the suit walked off towards the end of the path where the combatants would be coming from.

"No. He passed many years ago. That was only a facsimile his voice that I was able to pull from recordings. JARVIS is the name I gave to my AI program that basically runs my entire life…or at least the parts that Pepper doesn't want to do herself," he told her.

Rainebow was looking around at the secluded area he had brought them and seemed to know exactly what he wanted...an explanation as to how she was here.

Reaching over, she took his hand into hand. It was so much different than how he had grown used to such a simple touch feeling. She was not clinging to him like just another female at a party would. Her comforting touch brought back so many good memories of being with her. Tony let her guide him over to a bench for them to sit on.

"Pepper? Capsicle? Sounds like you are _still_ giving everyone nicknames," Rainebow smiled at him as they sat down next to each other for the first time in over forty years. "So what is her _real_ name?"

"Virginia, but _nobody_ calls her that thanks to me. So…before I end up in part two of our fight, care to explain how you are still you before…" he jerked his thumb in the direction Steve and Barnes would be coming from, "they get here."

"It's going to take a bit longer than just a few minutes to explain. I know why you were fighting, and I'm sorry about your parents, but it's not Bucky's fault that Hydra was able to use him to kill them…it's mine."

Tony stared over at her trying to understand at first why she would ever say something like that, but remembering what the evil uncle robot had said about her carrying his child made sense. She was trying to deflect the blame from Barnes onto herself to keep him safe.

"Don't you dare stand up for him! You are _not_ to blame for any of this!" he told her with anger is his voice. But Rainebow then placed her hand onto his, the simple touch helping to calm him. Looking down at it, he hesitated with what he had been about to say as he began to remember more of the times they had spent together. Picking her hand up into his, "I remember your hand being a bit bigger than this."

He did a quick inspection of her wrist and found only some bruising from where the restraint had held her. He had told JARVIS on the way down to keep monitoring her vitals. Just getting her out of the jet had helped to bring down her heart rate closer to normal.

"Yours were just a lot smaller…as well as a lot greasier," she told him with a smile. "And once you know the complete story, you will understand why I _am_ to blame for your parents, not Bucky."

"The words _'highly doubt that'_ are foremost on the tip of my tongue," he stated with a lot more vitriol than he intended towards her. But Rainebow didn't seem that she was going to hold it against him as she gave him a sad smile.

"Then I guess I'm going to have to give you another bedtime story. And believe it or not, this one will also involve Bucky Bear and little Stevie."

The moment she said those two names together, the information and memories in his childhood clicked into place. How many nights had he begged for one of her stories of the two friends?

"Are you saying that _they_ are the boys from the bedtime stories you used to tell me?" he asked pointing down the path.

"Yes. Bucky Bear is the Winter Soldier. And Stevie is Capsicle. Only I didn't know that you would ever meet them when I was telling you about them. I used the stories that were told to me when I was younger to help put you to sleep at night."

"How did you hear them?" he asked.

"Bucky told them to me when he was a prisoner of Hydra and my uncle Arnim, that robot you just fought."

Tony was trying to connect all the old dots with the new ones and he definitely knew that they were going to need a lot more than just a few minutes to talk.

"But how was he still around? Didn't he die not long before you pulled a Houdini? Back in the conference room when he said we had met, I could barely remember him as a little, smug bald man, and definitely not a seven foot robot. But seeing you again, I didn't believe it at first."

"Like a said, a very long story…"

* * *

 **Author's Note** : Thanks to everyone for the reviews and hello to the followers. I hope that this chapter gave a bit of excitement but don't worry, there's still more to come.


	17. Chapter 17

_**Chapter Seventeen**_

Running from the doorway leading to the outside area where they had last seen Lorraine and Tony, he and Bucky were met at the end of the walking path by Tony's suit in guard mode. He raised his hand to indicate for them to stop.

" _Captain and Sergeant, I'm sorry, but Tony wishes to have a few minutes of private time with Miss Rainbow_ ," JARVIS's voice informed them as they slowed their approach.

"That's my wife! I'm not going to let him hurt her!" Bucky angrily stated, heading for JARVIS and ready to fight to get by him. Steve looked down the way to where the two of them were quietly sitting and chatting. Nothing like what Bucky was expecting to find. Placing his hand on his friends shoulder before he started another fight, he at least managed to get Bucky to glance back to see what he wanted.

"Buck, look at them!" he stated pointed at where they sat. "They're only talking."

Hearing that he paused his angry steps. Bucky then had to lean to the side to see around the guard suit in front of them, but at least he didn't try to forcefully get past JARVIS. Then Steve realized the name that he'd just heard.

"JARVIS, you just called her Rainebow, but that's not the name Lorraine goes by," Steve pointed out.

 _"That was the name Tony informed me to call her."_

"They knew each other," Bucky solemnly stated getting his attention enough that he turned towards him. "She used to babysit him when he was very young, up until she went into the cryo-freeze chamber."

"They _knew_ each other?" Steve repeated the strange line. Looking at the two of them calmly talking and smiling he could tell that Tony seemed to remember Lorraine. "Why didn't you mention this to me?"

"Because…if you heard about Rainedrop's connection to Tony, then I knew that I would have to tell you about mine…and I didn't want to have to admit to that horrible deed to you."

"About Howard?" Steve asked to which Bucky nodded.

"I need to get her inside where the doctors can check on her and the baby," Bucky firmly stated to JARVIS while trying to sidestep the suit, which held out its hand.

" _Due to her condition, I have been monitoring Mrs. Rainbow since arriving at the jet, and am continuing to do so. Her stress levels had dropped considerably since we reached the ground. Her heartbeat and pulse have returned to normal. Her arm has only suffered minor abrasions from the device which had restrained her_ ," JARVIS informed them.

"Bucky, I know you don't believe this right now, but Tony would never hurt her to get to you. I think that you need to let the two of them talk, especially since seeing Lorraine is what stopped him from trying to kill you."

Steve could see the worry and anger in his face at that suggestion, but after a few moments to consider it he reluctantly nodded in agreement.

"JARVIS, how about we go sit on that first bench until they are done talking? You can stand there with us," Steve offered.

" _That would be fine, Captain Rogers_ ," JARVIS said as the suit walked over to where he had indicated.

Bucky took the end closest to Lorraine and turned his body, ready to get up and go to her at the first sign of trouble.

* * *

During her story of how she came to meet Bucky Bear when she was young, to growing up learning about Hydra from her uncle, to when they had met, to being put asleep inside the cryo-freeze chamber, Raine only had to reprimand him eight times for rudely interrupting with wanting to deviate from the tale. It seemed that he may have aged, but Tony had never really grown up. She was actually a bit happy with that.

Raine knew from glancing back at Bucky Bear intently watching them that it would be better to give a shortened version right now and then go into more detail later. She knew that it was only because of Steve that they were being given this time together. But the one thing she did not skimp on was the explanation of her part in the Winter Soldier's creation as well was what she had learned from Fury.

"I know that right now that you hate him, but you see, it was all _my fault_ that Hydra was able to create and control Bucky into doing those hateful things," she bluntly told him. "All because of my uncle using me to brainwash him."

"That tale sounds more like one of the bedtimes stories I used to like," he said then pausing as his breathing became shallower.

Tony turned his head to look over at where Bucky Bear and Steve were still intently watching them. Suddenly he stood up, putting his hand to his chest as he began to pace before her. Standing up, she rested her hand onto Tony's shoulder and she watched as he visibly flinched at the touch.

"Tony, what's wrong?"

"What's _wrong_?" he asked with amusement in his voice. Pointing down the walkway to where Bucky Bear and Steve were sitting, he told her, "The two of them just tried to _kill_ me and now _you're_ trying to take the blame for _him_ murdering my parents!"

Raine could hear where the anger in his voice was as he spoke, and it was not aimed at her. Crossing her arms just like she always did when having to discipline him, she firmly asked, "Who _actually_ started the fight, Grease Monkey? _Who_ threw the _first_ punch?"

With his finger pointing up in the air to prove his point, Tony's mouth opened to retort the accusation...but then nothing came out. The next moment his eyes darted between her and them as he tried to gather himself.

" _He_ was the one to kill them, not _you_!" his finger turned towards the object of his accusation. Tony was trying to deflect the topic again but she was not going to let him.

"So _you_ started the fight, _just_ like always," she calmly stated without any anger in her voice.

Tony had always been quick tempered and she'd dealt with him getting into fights on the base's playground when she could drag him out of the fabrication shop. He may have been shorter than the other boys, but nothing was as short as his temper.

"Fine, I threw the first punch at the assassin and then Capsicle had to join in the fight."

"Did they really try to kill you _or_ were they only defending themselves because you refused to hear Steve out when it came to explaining what had actually happened to Bucky Bear to make him Hydra's brainwashed servant?" she tried to point out the parts he seemed to want to ignore.

"I refuse to answer that question," he firmly told her as he continued to hold onto his chest and pace. He then removed the suit's coat and tossed it onto the bench next to her.

Seeing his face, Raine knew that something else was going on. Standing up, she walked over to him and placed her hand over his heart area, feeling what felt like rough scar tissue. She then remembered the stories about how Tony had some special device attached to him a short time back. But beyond that, she could feel the fast steady pace of his heart, his breathing heavy, much more than it should be for them just talking.

"Tony, what's going on with you? Tell me right now before I make you go stand in a corner," she demanded knowing that threatening him like that was not going to work but maybe it would get him to tell her the truth.

"I'm having a bit of a panic attack right now, ok?"

She remembered other Hydra soldiers around the base dealing with shell-shock every so often after the war as they recalled a very upsetting moment to them. Taking his hand into her, she led Tony back over to the bench and sat down. Guiding him to do the same, she put her hands over his head and moved him into place.

Moments later, Tony's head was lying on her legs as he lay on his back looking up at her and the sky. Stroking her hand through is hair, she looked over at Bucky Bear and Steve, finding one of them angry and the other curious.

After she noticed Tony's breathing finally easing up after only a few minutes, she asked him, "Does this happen often?"

"I refuse to also answer that question."

She saw that his eyes turned away from hers with his answer.

"I'll take that to mean that it does. Are you calm enough now for us to continue talking?"

"Maybe."

Smiling down at him, she saw that Tony was doing the same as his eyes turned back to meet hers. Tony hated people who would beat around the bush at something so Raine knew that she may as well just be candid with him.

"So, do you still plan to kill my husband and the father of my child?"

There was no way to ignore the grimace that came over his face.

"Do you still think that he was responsible…or that it was Hydra's and my fault?"

"I don't want you to say that," he told her with anger in his voice but not as much as the last time.

She kept softly moving her fingers to try and keep him calm. Raine knew that with that suit, after seeing what Tony was capable of that he could kill Bucky Bear.

"Hydra used the Winter Solider to kill a lot of good people, your parents included," she told him. "But that was not Bucky. Hydra was able to control his mind, they forced him to do those horrible things. Bucky Bear still worries that Hydra will come after him and that nightmare will start all over again. He's been working with Steve and Shield to try and make up for it as much as he can, but I know that it will always haunt him."

Tony lay looking up but not making eye contact with her again. Did that mean she was getting through to him?

At that moment, she felt a firm kick from the baby and because the side of Tony's face was resting against her belly, it had taken some of the impact.

"That thing just kicked me!"

"Maybe he wants an answer as to whether or not you're going to kill his father," Raine curtly told him.

Tony then sat up and looked down at her belly. Junior was moving quite a bit right now and they could see the impression through her shirt. For a moment, Tony moved his hand towards it as if wanting to feel the movement but then his hand hesitated.

"I can't do this right now. I need to get out of here before I end up grounded," Tony quickly stood up and moved away from her towards the water. "JARVIS!"

* * *

"What is she _doing_?" Bucky asked him as they watched Lorraine make Tony lay down and rest his head on her lap. He'd seen how their discussion had a brief heated moment. "Why is she touching him?"

"Lorraine is only trying to calm the situation down, Bucky," he told him as Steve turned to see how the agents were doing with the burning jet. So far they seemed to have everything under control.

Steve knew about Tony's impulsive actions and short temper but it seemed that from their time together years ago that so did Lorraine.

After a couple of minutes as Tony stood up, they heard him call out to JARVIS, but he didn't respond in any way. Looking over at the armor, Steve wondered why it wasn't moving or turning to Tony's command.

"JARVIS, is everything alright?" Steve asked.

When the armor turned its head around, the eye slots turned a hideous green that he unfortunately recognized.

"Bucky!"

* * *

Tony watched as his suit began to attack Steve and Bucky without his command to do so.

"Tony, stop attacking them!" Rainebow told him grabbing a hold of his upper arm.

"That's not me…or at least I didn't tell JARVIS to do that," he informed her as he began to move towards where the three of them were now exchanging blows. He pulled out his tablet to see what he could find.

" _Sir, the same AI that was in control of the Quinjet has taken control of your suit_ ," JARVIS' informed him from the device.

"How did it manage to do that?" he asked trying to regain access to his suit.

" _Remember that backdoor program that you installed inside of Shield's computer system? Zola utilized it to reverse hack into my mainframe_."

"Well then kick him back out and get me control of my suit," Tony instructed JARVIS as he reached out to grab Rainebow's arm to stop her as he noticed her trying to head towards the fight.

"Rainebow, there's nothing that you can do," he told her. "You would only be a distraction."

" _Sir, I do not believe that I will be able to regain control of the armor at the moment_ ," JARVIS sadly informed him.

Watching the continuing battle, he saw his armor sidekick into Barnes' chest, knocking him back a couple of feet away into the bushes. It then grabbed the sides of Steve's shield and lifted him off of the ground before giving a blast from his repulsor. Moments later Steve was flying through the air down the walkway almost the entire distance to him and Rainebow.

"Steve!" He released her arm so Rainebow could run over to him as he lay stunned on the ground. "Are you alright?"

"Maybe, what decade is it?" he humorously asked rolling over as his body swayed.

With a loud feedback sound from over the loudspeakers mounted everywhere around the Triskelion, they heard Russian words being spoken in the same voice as the Zola robot he had destroyed earlier.

" _Zhelaniye, rzhavyy, Semnadtsat'_ …"

"No! No, no, no," Rainebow's voice was full of panic as she stood upright and looked over at where Barnes had landed had been trying to get back to the concrete walkway. But as the electronic voice spoke, Tony saw his head starting to twitch with each word. Barnes then began to stagger, almost falling to his knees and grow angry while grabbing at his head, trying to cover his ears.

" _Rassvet…"_

"What's going on?" Tony asked looking over at Rainebow.

Steve quickly tossed his shield towards the building and where the closest speaker was located. As it rebounded after smashing the item, they could still hear the words thanks to all of the other speakers mounted around the entire building.

"P _ech'…"_

"Those words…I think they are Bucky's key words, the ones Fury told us about. Uncle Arnim is activating the Winter Soldier."

" _Devyat'_ …"

"What do you mean _activate_?" Tony had to ask needing to hear it out loud even considering what Rainebow had just told him.

" _Dobroserdechnyy…"_

"That's what I was trying to explain! Uncle Arnim is taking over his mind again! He'll obey any command he's given by him without question…including killing the two of you!"

" _Vozvrashcheniye na rodinu_ …"

"How do we stop it?" he asked as Barnes was kneeling on the ground screaming now.

" _Odin_ …"

"You can't."

" _Gruzovoy vagon_."

Barnes stopped screaming, leaving a strange silence in the air.

Standing up, Barnes looked around for something as Tony watched his armor then walk over to present itself to Barnes.

Whatever Tony had been expecting to happen, seeing Barnes standing at attention waiting for orders to be given to him, it wasn't that.

Had Rainebow's story all been true?

" _Good morning, soldier,_ " Zola commented from inside his armor.

There was a tonelessness in Barnes' voice as he calmly stood there and responded, "Ready to comply."

Tony felt his chest tighten with worry as his own suit turned towards the three of them with a finger pointed right at them with glowing green eyes.

With its speakers turned up so they could hear the command, Zola instructed the Winter Solider, " _Kill Steve Rogers and Tony Stark. Make it painful_."

* * *

Raine watched in horror as Bucky Bear turned his gaze to follow the suits' hand gesture, landing on the three of them standing there helpless. That lasted for only a moment before he began to firmly stride directly for them, his face blank of any emotion but determination to complete his command. A second later the suit began to follow behind him.

"The two of you need to get out of here," she said grabbing onto both of their arms and began to pull them down the pathway away from Bucky Bear. "I'll see if I can talk him back or at least hold him off for a bit."

"I'm not leaving you here," Steve told her as he stopped walking at the same time Tony did the same thing.

"Neither one of us are," Tony then said.

"Bucky is not coming to kill _me_! If this doesn't work, get him away from my uncle and figure out a way to get his mind back!" she turned to see that Bucky was now half way to them. Glancing at his body, she noticed that at least he had no weapons on him. Right now Steve was the only one armed…with his shield. Pointing in the direction away from Bucky Bear, she yelled, "Go! _Now_!"

The two of them looked over her shoulder and she could only imagine the image they saw that brought out the evidence of worry on both of their faces.

"I'm starting to think that _might_ be a good idea," Tony said grabbing onto Steve's arm and pulling on him.

As they began to run, Steve yelled back to her, "We'll figure this out and we are _all_ coming for you!"

Raine could only nod and hope that his statement was true. She turned to face Bucky Bear as she heard running footsteps from behind her. Bucky Bear was almost right up to her now so she held her arms out straight as if trying to stop him from passing her.

Thanks to the command from her uncle of not being able to hurt her, he stopped only a foot away. There was now a firm ferocity in his eyes as he stared at her for preventing him from completing his orders. She could tell that he had no recollection of who she was or what she meant to him.

Could she somehow jolt him back to himself?

"Bucky Bear," she began by slowly lifting her hand to his face, gently touching his bearded cheek, "I need you to not hurt Steve or Tony. Can you do that for me?"

There was no recognition in his eyes of her as his metal hand quickly reached up to grab onto hers. But just before clasping on it halted mere inches away from making contact. His eyes darted to his own, as if trying to figure out what had stopped him. She knew that he had intended to hurt her with the action, to forcefully move her out of his way. Her uncle's programming was preventing it though.

Dropping his hand, he took a step backwards to be free of her touch. He then glared past her to wherever his targets were now running.

"Move out of my way," he coldly told her as he next went to sidestep her, but Raine just moved to block him again with her outstretched arms. Even as he reached his arm out again, it suddenly stopped just before grabbing onto her. There was an inner anger she could now see displayed as Bucky Bear tried to override his programming...unfortunately if he did it would only be to hurt her.

" _Do not worry yourself with the girl_ ," she heard her uncle's voice coming out of Tony's suit. He had been steps behind Bucky Bear and now he reached out and took a hold of her wrist, pulling her out of Bucky's way. " _Go and eliminate your targets. Then come and find me_."

"Understood," Bucky Bear said as she was yanked firmly to the side. He wasted no more time before heading off down the path...without even a glance back at her in recognition. His mind was indeed not his own anymore.

"Bucky Bear! Don't!" she yelled to him as he began to quickly run after his targets.

" _Do not worry, Bienchen. They are no match for him. Stark is only human and Rogers will not try to hurt his friend, which will be his downfall. Once the two of them have been eliminated, with me now in control of Sergeant Barnes, I can continue with new plans for the Winter Soldier program_ ," her uncle told her as he turned them to head back towards the Triskelion's entrance. This time she was being dragged towards the inside of the building, not towards the landing area.

"Uncle, you can't do this! You don't have to do this!"

" _But you see, I want to do this. With my mind now in control of this much superior mechanical body, I will no longer age. Once you have given birth to my first new Winter Solider, I will command Sergeant Barnes to impregnate you again. While my soldiers grow in your womb, he will be refrozen until you give birth, starting the process over again_. _Unlike Pierce, I now have all the time in the world for my army to age and grow."_

"You are a monster!" Raine screamed out at hearing such an evil deed knowing that with his programming engaged, that her uncle could indeed make such a horrible deed possible.

Glancing over her shoulder, she could only helpless watch as her two friends ran for their lives away from her husband before moving out of sight around the corner of the building. Raine closed her eyes and allowed herself to be guided. She knew that there was no way for her to escape Tony's armor, just as she could not from her uncle's Bot. But all she could think about was how Bucky's mind was gone, no longer his own, and Raine had no knowledge on how to get it back. He would do whatever was commanded of him by her uncle, including forcefully taking her.

As they reached the exterior doors, they swung open automatically and after passing through they closed, followed by the echoing sound of their locks engaging. Suddenly, loud klaxons began to shriek inside of the building.

A feminine computer voice then announced, " _Emergency Level One. There is an imminent threat to the facility. All Shield agents must evacuate the premises immediately_."

"Uncle, what are you doing?" knowing that it had to be him.

" _I cannot have my new base of operations be filled with enemy troops. Once they are all outside, I will lock down the entire building so that nobody may come or go…yourself included_."

Raine noticed as she was pulled through the building that not a single agent ever appeared in their way for her to call out to for help. Her uncle must be controlling their movements to plan such an action.

Passing by a window that showed the outside, Raine wondered what was happening to the only three people who could possibly save her.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : Did you really think it would be that simple for them to get rid of Zola? Where's the fun in that? Thanks for the reviews.


	18. Chapter 18

_**Chapter Eighteen**_

"JARVIS, any time that you're not too busy, I would _really_ enjoy having control of my suit back!" Tony practically screamed into his SI wristwatch while glancing over his shoulder at Barnes. He had now passed by Rainebow and was running after them to do Zola's bidding. She had only managed to slow him for a few extra seconds. There was a cold, emotionless intensity on Barnes' face that helped his fear level to raise a few notches. "And the quicker the better!"

 _"I am trying, Sir, but the AI Zola is also using the Shield computers to prevent my access. He has now also taken control over the entire building. From what I can find, he has used the his previous time inside of them to well establish himself into their computer system."_

"Damn, Zola's gotten to Lorraine again. He's taking her back the other way!" Steve told him as he took the lead to follow a path back towards where they had come from. "JARVIS, can you at least keep track of Lorraine? Do _anything_ you can to prevent him from getting out of here with her on another jet."

" _I believe that Zola has no more intentions of leaving here. He is in the process of ordering an evacuation of the entire building with lockdown procedures to follow. From the direction they are headed, it seems that Mrs. Rainbow will taken inside of it forcefully_."

"Is _that_ what Rainebow was trying to tell me about?" he jerked his thumb over his shoulder to indicate the assassin gaining ground on the two of them. He knew that Steve could run much faster than he currently was, but even with him trying to kill Barnes earlier, Steve was not leaving him behind to face him alone and unarmed.

And he'd guess that since Barnes...or was it now the Winter Soldier...had not caught up to them yet, that following to order to ' _make it painful_ ' included toying with his targets.

"Yes. Bucky is no longer in control of his own mind. He'll obey that kill command to the very end. We have to somehow stop him _without_ killing him, Tony," Steve told him while now turning towards the outside landing pads. Numerous Shield agents were pouring from the building probably fearing a repeat of danger like last year, not realizing that they were giving Zola just what he wanted. "Zola wants that building cleared. We need to get inside before he locks it down and we are stuck out here helpless."

"Sure, let's go _into_ the enemy's possible new lair," Tony jested but diverted his run to take him towards the large hanger door that was slowly making its way closed to seal the building.

"Once we are inside, I'll distract Bucky while you and JARVIS figure out a way to stop him. See if you can find any kind of stunning weapon to knock him out with," Steve glanced up a bit as they passed under the door with Barnes closely following.

Tony kept on running even when Steve's form disappear from next to him. There was an open Quinjet not too far away and he hoped that there were weapons that he could use stored in it. Running up the ramp, he gave a quick glance over at where Steve and Barnes were now exchanging blows.

He could tell that Steve was holding back, but unfortunately, Barnes was not.

* * *

Raine found herself finally dragged into a security area with every door they had passed through locking behind them. Even if her uncle let her arm go, she couldn't get through any of the metal barriers keeping her here. The entire room was empty and she could tell the agents had recently left in a hurry. They had no idea they had been tricked into leaving their base defenseless.

Pulling her into another hallway, Raine saw one of the electric heavy metal doors swing open all by itself. Her uncle pulled her towards it.

" _You will have to stay here until I get a more proper cell for you to live in. The apartment below would be well suited for you after I add measures to insure that you remain locked inside of it. And with the cryostasis chamber already there, you will be with your Bucky Bear just as you always wanted._ "

"Please, Uncle Arnim, don't do this," she begged as he pulled her harshly into the cell.

By the time she turned around towards the door, it was being slammed closed and locked. Running to it, she pounded her fist on it. There was nobody around to help her and her uncle was not going to just let her go because of her begging.

" _I will return in a few hours with food for you. I suggest that you do not strain yourself. After all, you do not want to hurt the future leader of Hydra_ ," he mocked just before closing the outer hallway door, locking her in further.

Walking over to the simple cot, Raine sat down on it and tried not to cry.

* * *

Maria made her way through the hallway as far as she could before the interior defense systems began to target in on her. It had taken only a short time for them to comprehend that she was not following the evacuation procedure. Dodging behind the numerous desks from the shots taken at her by the automatic guns, she eventually made her way closer to the air return's metal grate, her destination. The desk she was hiding behind continued to take fire, and with each shot her wooden haven disintegrated a bit more.

Four of her bullets went right through the screws holding the metal cover in place and it fell to the ground giving her the needed access to the duct system running throughout the building. With a running dive, she slid into the cold metal tube free of defense systems.

Crawling inside until she reached the first turn, Maria pulled her Shield phone out and opened up the security feed. The Zola AI, if she understood correctly, was taking over the Triskelion and still trying to hack into her device. She didn't have long before it did and she needed to figure out what to do next.

Flipping through the internal cameras, Maria stopped on the only one with movement on it...a fight in the hanger bay.

Unfortunately what she saw didn't give her much hope.

"It's going to be one of _those_ days," she sighed putting the phone up and heading towards where her friends were at.

She'd have to thank Clint later for making her learn these paths.

* * *

 **Meanwhile...**

Tony could hear the fight going on in the hanger beyond the Quinjet growing louder. If he were to glance out the ramp, he would guess that Steve and Barnes were getting closer to the ramp. Besides the loud sounds of metal being crushed, he could feel the Quinjet shutter every so often as something impacted against the hull.

Looking through the assortment of weapons possible, he finally pulled out a weapon with glowing blue cartridge.

"JARVIS, what is this?" he asked as the jet gave another violent jolt.

 _"My records from Shield indicate that it is called an I.C.E.R. gun. The chemical inside of the cartridge is made specifically to incapacitate a target."_

"Perfect," he said turning the safety off and moving towards the ramp.

Looking around the corner, he watched at Steve and Barnes fought for a few moments as Steve was between the two of them, still trying to keep him safe. Even after what he had tried to do, Steve was protecting him and his face was paying a bloody price.

With a wide swing from Steve with his shielded left arm, Barnes went flying back into a workbench. Taking that as the perfect opportunity, Tony lifted the weapon and aimed as he began to right himself. Shooting at Barnes, he watched as the cartridge struck was blocked by his metal left arm…and did absolutely nothing. Aiming again, Tony began to shoot numerous times at him, each one being deflected away from his body by his unique arm.

"Oh, come on, give us a break," Tony cried out in frustration, catching a very unwanted eye.

Then Barnes started to move right for him.

"Steve, buddy, a little help," Tony requested as he began to back up while finishing off the loaded magazine with no good results.

Steve then moved in from Barnes' flank, making the Winter Solider turn to face the greater threat. That was when Tony noticed that Barnes had picked up a screwdriver from the workbench he had been pushed into and was using it as a weapon. A single, deep stab at just the right spot would kill either of them.

"JARVIS, can you scan for anything else in here to stop him?"

A few moments passed before he received the reply of, " _There are no other items useful located in the jets but there is a weapon's locker on the east wall. Your best chance would be a concussion grenade located inside of it_."

Tony began to run towards the location hoping that when he got there that it was unlocked. But with the way his luck was going today, Tony wasn't very hopeful. Sliding to a stop, he grabbed the handle to find it secured.

"Of course. JARVIS, can you get this opened for me?"

 _"I'm sorry, sir, but I am still unable to access any part of the building."_

"Tony, duck!"

Without even turning to find out why he needed to, Tony did as he was commanded seconds before Steve's shield slammed into the control pad disabling it and releasing the lock.

"World largest lock-pick," Tony said pulling it free from where it was wedged into the panel and waiting a few seconds before Steve was in a position to receive it.

Tossing it after receiving a nod from Steve, he didn't even bother to wait to see if Cap caught it.

Inside of the locker room, he saw the concussion grenade boxes stacked near the back wall. Making his way to it, he grabbed three total hoping that he didn't have to use them all. Going back to the door, he saw that the two of them had moved much closer to him but now Barnes was facing away.

Pulling the pin and tossing the canister towards them, he yelled, "Cap!"

Steve dove out of the immediate area as Barnes turned towards him and spotted the items rolling towards him. Crouching down and lifting his arm up as cover for his head, the explosion rang out in the enclose hanger. Turning to see if Barnes was down, Tony's body slumped at seeing the Winter Solider standing back up with a menacing scowl on his face.

"He's like a whack-a-mole! Nothing's keeping him down!" Tony then pulled the pin from the second grenade, tossing it before pulling out the pin of the third. Hopefully if he managed to get past the second one, the blast from the third would be too much for him.

But he watched as Barnes started moving quickly to the side and kicked at the items, aiming them into the direction Steve had dove towards. By the time they both went off, neither one had any effect on Barnes but he could see Steve crouching down behind his shield for cover.

And now the Winter Solider was heading right for him.

One word flew into Tony's mind...prowling. That was what he was doing, Barnes was prowling towards him to finish his mission.

With only managing a few pathetic punches at Barnes to defend himself, Tony easily then found himself grabbed around his neck by a metal hand that lifted him from the ground and pressed his back into the wall next to the armory. There was no emotion on Barnes' face as his other arm containing the screwdriver reared back for a fatal blow to his midsection.

That was when the large hanger door at the far side of the area blew apart with a large enough hole for the Quinjet to come through. The attentions of all three of them were drawn towards the vehicle to see if this new combatant was friend or foe.

In a very familiar deep male voice that Tony never thought that he would hear again, from over the jet's intercom came a single word, "Sputnik!"

With just that single word spoken, the hand gripping him slacked to release its hold. Tony could only watch as the Winter Solider dropped hard down to the concrete ground cataleptic, his head giving a slight bounce on the surface. Waiting a few seconds to make sure that it was not a strange trick, Tony stepped a few feet away from where Barnes was lying.

Steve was now moving towards his friend. Kneeling down, Steve examined him.

Tony could see that both of them had taken some extreme punches but Capsicle won the contest for most resembling a punching bag. Steve's lower lip was split and bleeding, his right eye was already turning multiple colors from the blows he'd taken to stop his best friend from killing Tony. There was even a small trickle of blood coming from his right ear. Barnes looked to be a bit better off since Steve had only been trying to slow or incapacitate him. A few of the hits Barnes had taken were probably meant to try and knock him out.

"He's unconscious," Steve stated looking up at him before turning to where the jet was now landing not far away.

"Looks like I got here just in the _nick_ of time," Nick Fury informed them with a pun Tony was proud of as he walked down the ramp to their little group.

"That was quite an entrance for a dead man. Have you been studying my technique?" Tony quipped with Fury while looking back down at Barnes. "What did you do to him?"

"I used the Hydra command word they implanted in his mind in case he every regained his memories and needed to be taken out," Fury told them as he reached where they were standing. "He should be out for about an hour. But I'm not sure who's going to be there when he does wake up though, Barnes or the Winter Solider."

"Then we need to somehow figure out how to get Bucky back before then," Steve said rising. "Nick, how did you know what was going on?"

"A little birdie told me," he partially grinned at them.

"So you know about Zola?" Steve asked him.

"Zola? Is that who caused all this mess and used the activation words? No, I was on the way here because the _three of you_ decided that trying to _kill each_ other in _my_ house seemed like a _good_ idea," Fury firmly stated specifically looking at him, and not Steve.

"What? You want me to say that I may have been a bit rash with my actions?" Tony sarcastically offered.

"Yes, that would be very nice for a change," Fury glared at him but he didn't immediately answer...even if he felt partially guilty.

Steve then chimed in with, "Maybe he'll do that once we get out of this we can sit down a have a more calm conversation, but right now, we need to figure out how to get Bucky back,"

"First, what did you mean about Zola?" Fury asked him.

Tony then gave Fury a brief rundown on all the events since his arrival in the conference room leading up to Fury shutting down Barnes making sure to _not_ omit finding out that Barnes had murdered his parents for Hydra. For some reason, Fury did not seem shocked by that admission making Tony wonder if he also knew and withheld that bit of knowledge.

"That explains why I lost contact with Maria as well as the hanger doors refusing to open for me," Fury informed them.

"Maria?" Steve asked.

"My little birdie who is probably still somewhere inside of here. She contacted me the moment your fight started and set off the alarms. I was monitoring everything during my flight, including hearing the words over the speakers. Up until a few days ago, I've been working on finding the Hydra book that tells all about the procedures done to Barnes, _including_ the activation codes for the Winter Solider. Luckily since I've come into possession of the book, I knew what they were when they started, and how to stop Barnes, I just didn't know _who_ had done it to him."

"Could we just use the words to turn him to our side?" Tony asked thinking it a very logical idea.

"Tony! How could you even _suggest_ that?" Steve's tone of voice told him how disappointed he was in him. "How would _you_ like to be controlled like a mindless robot?"

"Fine, but after seeing him in action, I would feel much better with him on our side," he stated pointing at the sleeping man.

"If we can get him out of Zola's control, he _will_ be," Steve pointed out and then turned to Fury. "Which brings us to another problem…Zola evacuated the building and then dragged Lorraine back inside of here. We're not sure where either of them are right now."

Fury's eyes narrowed at hearing that and Tony could almost see the wheels turning. He then asked the question Tony didn't want to hear.

"Are you sure that she's not working with her uncle?"

"Absolutely not," Steve firmly stated to Fury.

"She was screaming and crying out for help as he tried to leave here with her earlier," Tony told him. "I managed to get her out of the jet before it crashed, and trust me that she was not there willingly. But then Zola took over my suit _and_ siced his new lapdog on us."

"Tony!" Steve reprimanded him.

"You may not like the _wording_ but that's _exactly_ what happened."

"Alright children," Fury butted in before they had a chance to go off on each other. "So Raine is now being held captive by her uncle. Why?"

Tony and Steve looked at each other without an answer for that question.

"I believe that _I_ may have _that_ answer," a voice called out to them from close by.

Turning, they all saw Maria Hill walking towards them looking a bit dirtier than she normally did with her hair also all over the place.

"I still had access to the computer system up until a few minutes ago. About the time that your little fight started in the conference room, that was when Zola cornered Raine as she left her doctor's appointment. As he dragged her through the halls, he informed her that he was going to be continuing with the Winter Soldier program…starting with her child."

Tony felt his gut drop.

* * *

Steve closed his eyes as he tried to block the horrible thoughts from his mind as to what Zola may be planning for his nephew. They all knew that the superior genetic material in Bucky's system had been passed along thanks to some noninvasive test the doctors were able to run. He didn't want to think about how Zola would raise a super-soldier fully dedicated to Hydra's ways after seeing what he had managed to do to Lorraine.

Then the possible brainwashing that he could also do.

They needed to stop Zola at any cost.

"So, what's the next step?" he heard Fury ask.

"First we need to get Zola out of the computer system," Maria stated. "He's taken over completely. There's no way for us to get through the building's defenses with him controlling them. And when Bucky wakes up, even if he is back on our side, Zola can just use the words through the speakers again to take him over."

"JARVIS," Tony was pulling a table back out from his pocket. "What can you do to gain control over the system? Could you boot Zola out, or better yet, delete him completely?"

 _"I'm afraid that I do not think that it would be possible. Zola has reconfigured the system so that there are redundant routes for his, for lack of a better word, consciousness to travel through. Even if I manage to close off one, he has almost a dozen more to travel through."_

"Great," Fury sarcastically stated. "So there's no hope of getting rid of him?"

" _That is correct, former Director Fury_ ," Zola's voice echoed in the hanger from nearby speakers. " _I am now in charge of this facility so I suggest that you the four of you leave here before I take drastic measures to deal with you intruders. You may leave my Winter Solider where he is_."

"I'm not leaving him _or_ Lorraine here for you to have," Steve called out to the surrounding area.

He realized that Zola had been listening to the everything they had just said using the security feeds. No matter what, they needed to get out of the immediate area so that they could formulate a plan without him knowing the details of it.

They all then heard the sound of heavy footsteps off in the distance.

Turning they saw Tony's suit emerging from a doorway with a small canister in one hand and binder cuffs in the other.

 _"That would be most unfortunate. I would hate to have to kill my Asset along with all of you, but there is a chance that the Midnight Oil will only drive you to kill each other, not the unconscious Asset."_

"Midnight Oil?" Tony then stated looking right at Fury. "Why the _hell_ do you have Midnight Oil here?"

"To keep it out of the military's hands," Fury told him defensively.

"What is it?" Steve hated to ask.

"A chemical compound my dad accidentally created that drives a person insane and makes them kill any and everyone around them."

"Sometimes I wonder what Howard was thinking," Steve said watching the suit get closer to them.

"You did hear the part where I said he _accidentally_ created it, right?" Tony pointed out to him.

Zola then got their attention.

 _"As I was saying, I believe that it is now the time for you all to go."_

The four of them glanced around at each other knowing that unfortunately this was not going to go their way right now.

"Looks like we have no choice," Fury told them as he glanced at Maria who gave a single resigned nod before the two of them started to walk towards where the large hole was in the hanger door.

"Nick, we can't leave him!" he called out not wanting to leave Bucky in the hands of this mad scientist again.

"Steve, I'm giving you a direct order! If he releases that stuff, you can kill all of us without even breaking a sweat!"

Grinding his teeth, Steve glanced down at his unconscious best friend and dreaded walking out of here without him. There was no telling what Zola could do to him or Lorraine. But it seemed that they needs to regroup where they could have privacy to formulate a plan of attack.

Grudgingly starting to walk, Steve kept turning back to look at Bucky, watching as Tony's suit secured the binder cuffs around his forearms. He knew what they were capable of and that Bucky would not be able to get free of them without help. The suit then lifted Bucky from the ground, threw him over his shoulder, and carried him deeper inside of the building out of sight.

This was shaping up to the be worst day ever.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : I pulled the Midnight Oil from _Agent Carter_. An early story version for CA:3 movie was not _Civil War_ but would have had Zemo use it on the world. So I thought it would be an interesting touch for the story.


	19. Chapter 19

_**Chapter Nineteen**_

"Out of the frying and into the fire."

Lorraine picked at pieces of lint from the blanket she sat on trying to figure out what to do. She wanted to scream and cry at finding herself trapped here. It wouldn't help her situation any even though she thought it might make her feel a bit better. But she also knew that the stress of being upset was not going to be good for Junior either. She hadn't felt this helpless since the day she had woken up and stumbled out into the world.

Raine found it a bit ironic that she had finally ended up in a Shield cell just as she had feared that day. Only it had been her uncle who had put her here.

Running her hands over her belly, she was glad that Junior had finally calmed down and stopped doing his somersaults. With how much he had been moving around for the past few minutes, Raine was half expecting to get bruising from some of the strikes her stomach had taken from him. Years from now, if everything turned out alright, this might even make for a great bedtime story for him.

She had been sitting and wondering what was going on for far too long. The alarms had finally stopped not too long after arriving at the cell. Since then she had heard nothing from the outside. There were no guards to request help from, or even other prisoners to talk with. As far as she knew, there was a chance that she was the only human left in the entire building. Her uncle was not even responding to her requests.

Her mind kept wandering back to Steve and Tony, hoping that the two of them at least managed to escape from Bucky Bear even if they didn't get her uncle out of his head. Raine recalled the look in his eyes of not recognizing her at all and it made a nervous knot form in her stomach. His mind was truly gone right now. Would they be able to ever get him back?

At the sound of a door opening, Raine made her get up from the cot as quickly as she could hoping that it was Bucky Bear, Steve, or Tony coming to get her out of here. She'd even give Maria or Fury a kiss if either of them showed up. Sticking her face at the small opening in the otherwise solid metal door, she heard the unique sounds of Tony's suit walking.

When it finally came into her line of vision, Raine gasped as what she saw.

"Bucky Bear!"

He was unconscious and slung over the shoulder of the suit with a strange pair of cuffs that encased his entire forearms.

 _"He cannot hear you, Bienchen, so do not trouble yourself with yelling for him."_

"What happened to him? What did you do?" she asked as one of the other cell doors opened and he was carried inside.

Looking at his dangling hands, she could make out smears of blood on them.

 _"This was all Nick Fury's doing. Somehow he discovered another one of my secrets. Along with his activation words, it was requested for him to have a deactivation code word implanted in case he ever became unruly and need to be taken out quickly."_

Nick was here and had somehow known how to stop Bucky? Raine realized that this meant that he had probably managed to find the Winter Solider Project book that he had been looking for. Even if he had destroyed it as he said he would, that didn't mean that Nick hadn't taken the time to read it first. Maybe that book had some way to get rid of those damn words from his head.

Taking in a breath as she heard Bucky Bear tossed onto the simple cot, she needed to know whose blood that was on his hands.

"Did he kill Steve or Tony?" she asked her uncle as he stepped out of the cell and closed the door behind him, locking Bucky inside.

 _"Unfortunately, he was not able to accomplish that task. Fury arrived just in time to prevent it."_

Raine let out the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding since asking her question.

 _"He will have to stay here until he wakes up and I see who is once in control of his mind, him or myself."_

As her uncle then turned to leave the area again, "What are you going to do now?"

He paused long enough to tell her, " _Secure my new base of operations so that I can start rebuilding Hydra, of course_ ," before he shut and locked the outer hallway door.

* * *

Standing on the other side of the riverbank from where the Triskelion was, Steve couldn't stop wondering what was happening on the inside. All of the evacuated Shield agents had been spread out on both sides of the river with their group in a park's parking area where they still had a good visual on the building out in the river. Traffic had been redirected around the nearby roads in case Zola decided to make good of his threat about using the building's new defense systems. After the helicarrier incident, upgrades had been made so that those inside could fire on any threats from the sky.

He had sat for the nurse to put a couple of bandages over the worst cuts on his face thanks, once again, to that impressive metal fist his best friend now had. There was nothing too severe and he would be healed in only a few hours probably. Hopefully by then this mess crated by Zola will have been cleaned up.

"So, I think I may need to give a bit of an apology," he heard Tony say from close behind him.

Turning, Steve could see from the look on Tony's face how hard it actually was for him to admit that he might have been in the wrong with attacking them.

"I'm not the one who you should be saying that to."

"Well, you're the only one here right now," Tony came to stand next to him, also glaring at the building. "I listened to Rainebow's bedtime story but it just sounded too unbelievable…until those words proved her right. I've never seen anything like that. Even with what Clint went through... _that_ was on another level of impressive Jedi mind tricks."

"I'm sure that Lorraine didn't lie to you with her explanation. Everything she told you was the truth. Bucky was Hydra's prisoner for seventy years. Those words were only _part_ of what he had to go through along with the mind wipes. He's only been free from Hydra for just over a year."

"Seems that the two of them wasted no time," Tony joked.

"Lorraine helped to bring him back into the world in more ways than one. And that was only after we were able to prove to her that everything she learned from a young age about Hydra was a lie."

"So the entire time I knew her, she was Hydra?"

"In a way, yes, but her uncle didn't even tell her the truth about them. He twisted their views so that she believed them to be the good guy and Shield the bad ones. But even with all of that, she still managed to grow up to be a kind woman."

He could see Tony taking in his words as he probably thought about his time with Lorraine growing up.

But Steve had also been considering his own responsibility when it came to the reason behind their fight. If Tony was strong enough to try and make up for it, then Steve knew that he needed to do the same.

"Tony, I need to apologize to you too," Steve started getting Tony's focus on him. This was one of the hardest things he'd ever done and Steve tried his best to hide his fear at doing so. "When I found out from Zola during the Project Insight incident last year that you parents' deaths had actually been caused by Hydra, I should have come to you then to tell you. But I didn't. I was too scared to bring up such a horrible act since I knew that you were still struggling with how they were taken from you. I didn't want to be the one to add that their deaths not being an accident on top of that for you. I thought I was protecting you from getting hurt all over again."

"And hiding the truth from me was the best way to go about it?" Tony asked with more than a bit animosity.

Steve shook his head, "No, and that's my point. If I had manned up and come to you then, then we could have worked together to find out the truth and then Zola wouldn't have been able to use it against us."

"Barnes sure didn't have a problem keeping it a secret either, even from you, it seemed," Tony pointed out.

"We talked briefly about it while you and Lorraine were talking. He was ashamed that Hydra had been able to use him to kill a friend of ours from so long ago. You were not the only person that he feels he's hurt. Bucky's had a lot to deal with and try to overcome during the past year. Seventy years of being used as a weapon to kill can strip away at someone piece by piece but everyday he works with me trying to make up for it."

Tony stood there looking out over the water towards the Triskelion. Steve had given Tony something to think about and he was not going to push the subject anymore. If Tony wanted to talk about it, then Steve would but there was no way to make someone accept an apology.

Behind them, Steve could see Nick and Maria having a very heated discussion about something no doubt dealing with the current situation while Natasha calmly watched from nearby.

"What's that about?" Steve nodded in their direction.

"Fury's trying to decide how much of the building would need to be destroyed to be able to stop Zola. Hill wants to go with a direction less messy."

Steve turned back to look over the water. Off in the distance, he could just make out the form of Sam making another recon flight. Steve had called him after they reached this area and set up the temporary base. Sam had been warned to not get too close thanks to the new defense system. So far, Zola had not fired on Sam, who had yet seen any sign of Lorraine or Bucky.

"I can't believe that Fury thinks that I would actually let him do anything that would endanger Bucky, Lorraine or the baby."

"Right now, he's looking at it from a more 'national security' standpoint. There's no telling what else Zola may have hidden in the bowels of that building. Nicky didn't even know that Rainebow was in there for decades."

Steve hated to even think of how right Tony was. Zola had something to do with the Triskelion being built so he could possibly have even more secret areas that Nick had yet to discover.

"We need to figure out how to get Zola out of that computer system. Tony, there has got to be something that you or JARVIS can do."

"JARVIS is working on that problem right now," Tony said kicking at the grass under his feet. "There is something that I thought of but I don't think that Fury is going to like it very much."

"Would it hurt Bucky or Lorraine?"

"No, but I'm not sure of the overall damage it could do," he said making Steve's brows raise at hearing that. "If we can't get Zola out of the computer system, then I say we take out the entire computer system."

Steve turned to look at Tony once he said that.

"How?"

"I can set off one of my smaller portable arc reactor prototypes to emit an EMP wave that would shut down all electronic in the area, which means that it would effectively shut off Zola."

"What's the bad part?" Steve hated to ask.

"It would take out an area approximately 3 miles…"

"Diameter?"

"Radius. And that's my small arc."

"Tony, you'd be shutting down almost all of the government buildings in Washington, including a hospital or two…"

"Six actually," Tony interrupted. "And let's not overlook the numerous embassies that it would include. You know, if I did this, it would top my standing record of three international diplomatic incidents in a single day. Pepper would have a field day with this."

Steve looked over at where Tony was smiling at the thought.

"Sometimes you remind me of Howard too much," Steve grinned thinking of how Howard would have done it without hesitation. "But the building itself would be fine? Nothing would hurt Bucky or Lorraine?"

"No, as long as they are not in the elevator, but even then the emergency braking system should lock into place."

"Great," came out with a lot of sarcasm.

Looking back over at Nick and Maria, he gave a heavy sigh. As of right now, this was their best option. If JARVIS was still just trying to work on how to get into the system, then there was no telling how long Zola may actually be in control. They needed to remove him as a threat as soon as possible.

"Let's go discuss this and see if they agree but we have to give JARVIS some time first. Are you sure that you can't minimize the area any more to only effect the Triskelion?"

"I'll put JARVIS on working the numbers to see what he's able to minimally do, but we're still going to be looking at a very large area."

Steve could only hope that if they went this route, that his friends were somewhere safe when it happened.

* * *

Waking up, Bucky felt like his head was pounding. When he tried to reach up to touch the spot on his forehead that hurt, his arm refused to move. Opening his eyes, he saw a familiar set of magnetic cuffs on his forearms. These were made by Shield to contain special prisoners, and he now wore a set.

Sitting upright on the cot, he glanced around the small cell that he had somehow come to reside in. How had he gotten here? The last thing he remembered was trying to fight off Tony's suit with Steve. And fighting a robot would not explain the blood staining his knuckles.

Standing up, he went over to the door and looked through the small opening, but he didn't spot anyone or hear anything at all.

"Steve?" he called out.

"Bucky! Is that actually you?" Rainedrop's voice came from somewhere very close.

"Rainedrop! Where are you?" he kept looking until she appeared across and down the small hallway from where he was, locked away in her own cell.

"Is that really you? Are you back?" she asked him again.

"What are you talking about? Are you alright?" he asked her.

"Yes, I'm fine. But how are you?"

"Why? What happened to me? How did I get here?" he asked her.

"Uncle Arnim used your activation words to turn you back into the Winter Soldier. He ordered you to kill Steve and Tony…"

"No…" he said dropping his forehead against the cold metal door.

"Don't worry, they're fine, or at least not dead," Rainedrop told him. "Fury managed to knock you out with a special deactivation word before you could. Uncle Arnim then somehow got a hold of you and brought you here until you woke up. Can you get us out of here?"

Straighten up, he began to strain against the cuff which then gave him a large electrical shock for his efforts, incapacitating his left arm momentarily. The rest of his body's muscles faulted under the painful shock, dropping him to his knees. It seemed they were turned up to maximum for him.

"Rainedrop, I can't get out of these cuffs," he hated to admit looking through the hole at her. He could see that she looked uninjured and he guess that Zola wouldn't hurt her. "What else did I miss while I was out?"

"Uncle Arnim used an evacuation alarm and had all the Shield agent leave the building. We are probably the only two inside of it right now. Bucky, we _need_ to get out of here."

There was something in Rainedrop's voice that sent a chill through him. He'd never heard her so afraid before.

"Raine, what's wrong?"

After too many moments of silence as she worked up the courage, Rainedrop told him, "Uncle Arnim wants to turn Junior into the leader of Hydra and the first of his new Winter Soldiers."

That sentence made his blood ice cold and boil at the same time. Then how she worded that statement made him curious.

"What do you mean by 'first'?"

"Uncle Arnim plans on turning you back into the Winter Solider and after the baby is born, commanding you to impregnate me again. Then he's going to freeze you until that baby is born…and then do it again. We'd be producing him an army."

He could hear Rainedrop's voice start to break with that final admission. Bucky closed his eyes and dropped his head against the steel door as his hands balled into tight fists. If Zola got his way, he would effectively be raping his own wife over and over without any hesitation. Bucky knew that he would do anything to insure that she and Junior were safe.

"Rainedrop, I'm not going to let that happen to you. One way or another, I'm going to get you out of here…both of you."

" _You can try Sergeant Barnes, but I am in full control of this facility. There is no chance for either of you to escape from me_ ," Zola's voice came over the intercom system.

"Let Raine go, you bastard!" he yelled towards the ceiling.

 _"Is that any way to talk to your commanding officer?"_

"You are _not_ my commanding officer. I'll _never_ obey you."

" _Is that what you think? Zhelaniye_ …" Zola spouted off the first of his activation words, creating a small spark of panic and pain in his still recovering head.

"No, please stop, uncle!" Rainedrop banged on her cell door and screamed from across the way. Bucky could hear her start to cry as she called out, "Please don't take him from me again!"

Bucky was a bit surprised that Zola actually stopped before moving on to the next word.

" _Let that be a reminder that I am the one with all the power here. Challenge me again, Asset, and I will make it so that you are forced to obey me_."

* * *

Tony was off to the side working with JARVIS on a special computer he had brought into the area from somewhere close. Steve knew that he had resources all over the world but had never thought to ask him about them. Nick, Maria, Sam, and Nat agreed that setting off the arc reactor and taking out the computer system would be the most logical course of action. Steve pointed out again about how much of the surrounding area would be effected but they all considered it minimally acceptable losses considering the alternative. The hospitals and embassies all had backup generators that would kick on, as did the Triskelion.

Tony had called in one of his other suits from Stark Tower and it was on the way here now. Steve and his strike team would do a simultaneous strike on the building's generators to prevent it from rebooting the computers, and therefore Zola. JARVIS confirmed that once the computers were shut down, that he would be able to work with Shield to restart each system individually to ensure that the Zola 'mind' was removed from them to prevent him from taking over again. Steve hoped that they were right.

Maria came up the hill to where he and Sam had been watching the building across the way for some time now.

Taking a seat on the grass next to him, Maria asked, "How are you doing, Steve?"

"I'd feel a lot better if Bucky and Lorraine were out here with us. Then I'd have no problem just blowing up the building."

"Do you realized all the work that I've put into having that thing rebuilt over the past few months?" she sounded serious and joking at the same time.

"And I'm sure that _Zola_ really _appreciates_ all of your _efforts_ ," he grinned over at her earning him a punch in the shoulder from Maria.

"Once we get the building back, I'm going to have a complete system override shutdown code put into the computers to make sure nothing like this happens again," she told him picking at the clovers surrounding them. "If I had any idea that _this_ could happen, it would have already been there."

"That sounds like an excellent idea," Sam told her. "How much longer until we make our move?"

They were still waiting on Tony's suit to arrive which was carrying the prototype arc reactor that he would detonate. Once it was here, Tony and JARVIS would then have to reconfigure it to explode, something Tony had made sure could never happen. Tony would move in on the generator while Steve and a TAC team moved in on the facility itself looking for Lorraine and Bucky. He only hoped that he actually found Bucky and not the Winter Solider.

"At least two more hours from what Tony just told Nick. He's already working on the plans to rework the arc but he'll still need time to do the actual modifications."

"I hate the idea of just sitting here for that long," Steve stated the obvious.

He heard Maria give a heavy sigh.

"Me too. But at least the weather is nice and holding out."

"Don't jinx us, Maria."


	20. Chapter 20

_**Chapter Twenty**_

Bucky was not sure how long he had been sitting in the cell but after weighing all of his options, he decided that he needed to at least try and get Rainedrop out of here. He'd been with Hydra for decades, he knew a lot of the inner workings and mentality of those in the atrocious organization. There had been numerous times when his Handler or superiors would speak freely in front of him without worry of him using what he learned about them. He'd heard their worries and fears for the future, not to mention being Zola's prisoner for years. He could only hope that the idea he'd formulated would not fail.

And Zola was just as arrogant as any other Hydra agent.

Standing up, he calmly walked over to the door so that he was sure his voice would carry.

"Zola, I need to speak with you," he called out.

He then heard movement from the other cell and a few seconds later, Rainedrop appeared at her own door.

"Bucky Bear, what are you doing?"

There was worry in her eyes.

"Hopefully, getting you out of here," he told her. "Zola! Can you hear me?"

 _"Yes, Sergeant Barnes. I can hear everything that happens on this base."_

"I want to make a deal with you."

 _"What sort of deal? I would say that you are in no position to offer me anything."_

Bucky knew that Rainedrop was about to pitch a fit at him.

"I want to offer you the opportunity to continue your work on the super-soldier serum…using only me as your test subject."

"Bucky! What are you saying?" Rainedrop yelled at him.

 _"And why should I take that as an offer?"_

"Because you know that only part of my altered genetic makeup was passed along to the baby. It's nothing more than a watered-down version of whatever you did to me. Raine still has to give birth, something you are probably not prepared to deal with. It will then take years for the child to grow from infancy. During that time there is the feeding, diapering, caring for the child…very tedious work that does not benefit you. There is no way that Shield will let you remain in control of such a centrally located position like the Triskelion as you may have planned. You were leaving here with Raine and I'm sure that you have somewhere that you were taking her. But now, you can take _me_ for those test, _not_ an infant that will need to be _cared_ for."

"Bucky! Don't do this!"

 _"A most interesting proposal, Sergeant Barnes. I have had the same thoughts concerning the upcoming birthing process which I am unfamiliar with. And this facility does not have all of the medical equipment necessary to reformulate the serum."_

"Then take my offer. I'm sure with all the new modern machines available to you that you'll have no problem duplicating it from my blood. Let Raine go free and I'll stay and submit to any testing that you want."

"Bucky! No!" Rainedrop was now crying while staring through the small window at him. "I can't lose you like this."

 _"But you forget, Sergeant, that I plan to raise the child in the ways of Hydra. Even considering your points, why should I give up such a valuable asset?"_

Bucky gritted his teeth at hearing his son called that, but he'd already had thought about this part of his argument. He knew that Rainedrop was about to become extremely angry at him but he needed Zola to leave here. He'd promise anything to make that happen to give Steve the ability to destroy Zola.

"Because until Junior grows old enough to be able to be taught anything, it will give you time to prepare a location secure enough to raise him in. I'm familiar with numerous deserted Hydra bases all over the world. You will have your pick of locations to raise him, along with plenty of time to build any necessary equipment you'll need as well as finding numerous Hydra scientist to follow you. Shield has taken out all of the highest members of Hydra with no firm leadership in sight. So until he reaches an acceptable age to take over the reign, _you_ will be the new leader of Hydra."

He figured it couldn't hurt to stroke Zola's ego a bit.

"How could you?" Rainedrop yelled at him with fear in her voice.

Bucky wished that he could at least give Rainedrop a sly wink to show that he was up to something, but he was sure that Zola was in control of the security cameras. He couldn't risk it. She had not considered _why_ he would be putting such thoughts as to leaving here into Zola mind...or whatever he had now.

"What do you say, Zola? Use the activation words and I will _have_ to come with you, but if you promise that Raine will be safe, I will go _freely_ with you."

A long stretch of moments passed with only the sound of Rainedrop's crying in the hallway. He could only imagine how upset she was right now, but it was not going to get any better for her even if Zola...

 _"I accept your proposal, Sergeant Barnes. I will begin the necessary actions to leave this place with only you. But to insure your compliance, I **will** activate the Winter Soldier."_

Hearing that, the tension in his body eased for the worst reason imaginable. Bucky knew that Zola had just signed both of the death warrants.

"That's fine. But at least let me see that Raine has gone free first. As long as she remains free, even if I turn back into Bucky, I will not flee or fight you."

 _"You have one hour before I will be ready to leave. Take this time to say your farewells."_

"Bucky, you can't do this," Rainedrop told him through her angry sobs. "How could you offer to help him take Junior away like that?"

"If _this_ is what it takes to get you and our son out of here right now safely, then I _absolutely can_."

Rainedrop then began to focus on his face and he saw a calm pass over her. Had she just figured his plan out?

"Please…I don't want to lose you."

Hearing that, maybe she had.

"You won't. You'll always have a part of me with you…with Junior," he told her then Bucky had to add, "Just promise me that until he's born, you'll remember to tell Steve that his name is to be James Junior, and that he's not going to be named after him."

"I can't believe that you are bringing up that silly tease again at a time like this," she told him with a bit of a laugh to her words. "You still don't want to let Steve know that the baby is going to be named after him?"

"Of course not," he smiled back at her.

They had decided months ago to name the baby after Steve, but it was just so much fun to tease Steve about it.

* * *

Maria hadn't moved from where she stood listening to Tim Harness' explanation of all the work that his team had been tricked into doing on the Zola Bot for the past few months. She wanted to punch him for being deceived like that but she knew it wasn't Harness' fault.

Since right after arriving at the Triskellion, Arnim Zola had managed to use their own computer system to send fake emails with all the necessary security features in place so Harness had no idea that it was not her he had actually been in contact with. They had repaired and upgraded the Bot's body without anyone catching on to what he was having done.

Tony wanted to find out how the Zola AI managed to get into his suit after believing him destroyed on the Quinjet. They all were silent as Harness explained to them.

"So then Zola used the satellite link to get back into our computer systems after the Quinjet was brought down?" she verified with him.

"Yes," he solemnly agreed. "An email request months ago had us set up an automatic emergency backup in case the Bot's body became too damaged."

"And once back inside, he was then able to backdoor his way into my suit," Tony stated sounding very miffed at the idea. But Tony had brought that on himself for invading their system and leaving that hidden backdoor in place after New York, she figured.

"Will this plan of yours stop him from leaving your suit and doing the exact same thing again?" Fury asked him.

Tony looked as if he were shocked at even having the question asked.

"Of course," he flippantly stated. "Even if he has set up something similar in my suit's programming, the blast will render him unconscious, for lack of a better term. He is not going to be damaged so the program will not activate if it _is_ there."

"At least we have _something_ going for us," Steve commented from where he stood next to Sam who'd arrived not long after they'd set up this temp location.

"Having the entire Bot's memory backed up like that, it sounds to me like Zola's consciousness has to remain together in a single place, as if he is worried about duplicating his program," Tony seemed to ponder to himself. "Maybe he's worried about having to deal with Zola 2.0 if he copies himself."

"Then let's hope that there is only one version of him and that it remains in your suit," Maria told him turning to look out of the tent's flap at where the Triskellion was quietly sitting across the river.

This was turning out to be the worst day ever.

* * *

Hearing Tony's suit coming back into the cell area, Raine knew that it was coming to take her away from her Bucky Bear. And there was nothing that she could do to stop it from happening. She knew that he was making this agreement to go with her uncle as a sacrifice to keep her and the baby safe, she just hated that he had to do so.

" _Come Bienchen, it is time for you to leave this place_ ," her uncle told her as he unlocked her cell door.

Without hesitation, she hurried over to where Bucky was looking through the open hole at her.

"I don't want to leave you," she told him as the tears threatened to come again.

"I know, but you will. Please keep yourself safe. You listen to Steve, Sam, and Nat. Ask them for help whenever you need it, especially with Junior. Alright?"

Raine could only nod her head in agreement.

Bucky's bound arms came into view so she reached up to take his hands in hers for what may be the last time. He then pulled her so that her head was right up at the hole.

With a whisper so low that her uncle may not be able to pick it up, he told her, "You tell Steve that they _have_ to take us out when we _leave_ here and to do so _without hesitation_."

Her breath hitched as the understanding of why he was really agreeing to this hit her.

That made the tears finally start. He was telling her to give Steve the order to kill him when her uncle tried to leave here again. He wasn't actually submitting to the experiments, he was giving Shield a chance to destroy a Hydra threat at the cost of his own life. Bucky Bear kissed her for the final time.

" _It is time to go, Bienchen_. _You will be seeing each other in just a few short years,"_ her uncle told her as he grabbed her upper arm and began to drag her away from Bucky. He didn't seem to have heard the whispered order.

"I love you, Bucky Bear."

He gave her that smile with his lip upturned as if he had just heard an obvious statement, which he had.

"I love you too, Rainedrop."

* * *

Sam watched as Tony worked on the small arc reactor that his suit had brought from New York a few hours ago. With as much as Nick was pestering Tony, everyone knew that he was almost finished working on it. But to everyone else time was at a standstill. Nobody could move until Tony was ready.

He had been sitting on the hill watching the Triskelion after numerous reconnaissance flights around the building. So far there had been no sign of any movement from the structure at all. Everyone was curious as to what Zola was trying to do.

Then Sam heard an alarm from a motion sensor that Shield had set up aimed at the building. Glancing over at the structure, he saw that down at the main lobby doors to the outside were two forms walking, the Iron Man suit and a smaller figure that he was pretty sure was Raine.

"What do you have?" Steve asked the Shield agent watching the monitor and zooming in on the forms.

"The two targets are walking towards the front doors," he told them as they were able to make out Raine being almost dragged by her uncle still using Tony's suit for a body. They seemed to be exchanging words but kept moving forward at a steady pace.

Reaching the outer lobby doors, they saw Raine push one open and start to walk down the long walkway to the bridge that would take her over the river to where they were.

"Sam, can you go and meet her when she gets to the bridge?" Steve requested. "You stay with her and I'll bring a car for her. She shouldn't be walking that far."

"Got it, Cap," he said extending his wings and taking off.

Raine's head turned to watch him almost from the moment he took off until he landing not too far ahead of her. When she got close, he could see that she had been crying very recently.

"Are you feeling alright?" he first asked her as she wrapped her arms around him in a tight of a hug as she could do considering her belly poking out.

"Yes, but uncle still has Bucky inside," he started to lead her away from where she was looking back at Tony's suit which was now disappearing through one of the interior doors. "I need to talk with you and Steve as soon as possible."

"Steve's bringing a car around to pick you up so you don't have to walk," he told her as he saw movement from the hill area, which was probably her ride on the way.

They kept walking forward down the bridge until they reached the vehicle which Steve jumped out from.

"Are you alright?" Steve then asked her.

"Yes, but…" Raine then turned back to the building, stopping herself from saying anything else. She seemed to understand that her uncle may be listening in on them. "Let's get out of here."

They helped her into the back seat while he folded down her wings to be able to sit with her. Once the doors were closed the question began.

"Where's Bucky? Why did Zola let you go?" Steve asked as he began to drive them away from the building.

"Bucky made a bargain with my uncle to get me out of there. He pointed out that the serum was not as strong with Junior and that he had the full version inside of him. He told my uncle he would willing go with him if he set me free."

"How could he agree to that?" Steve stated a bit angry. "There's no telling what tortures Zola is going to do to him again…and that only when he's not controlling the Winter Soldier to do his bidding."

"That's why he wanted me to tell you that in a little while, him and my uncle are leaving here. He said that when they do, for you to take them out…and to not hesitate."

Steve's hand hit the steering wheel at hearing how Bucky was trying to sacrifice himself to get Raine to safety and then take Zola permanently out. Sam knew how hard it must be for Raine to even tell Steve that. She had just given the kill order on Bucky herself. He reached over and took her hand into his and she leaned over to put her head on his shoulder.

"We have a plan already in the works," he told her. "There's a good chance that it will not come to that and hopefully we'll be able to get Bucky out of there unharmed."

"I hope so," she told him with sorrow full in her wavering voice.

* * *

"How long do we have?" Nick asked Lorraine once she had the chance to explain what had happened inside of the Triskelion.

"Before he took me from the cell, my uncle said one hour. After a couple of minutes, the suit showed up. We then had to walk through the halls and down to the lobby which took a few minutes thanks to my waddling," she told them rubbing her belly. "Add to that getting over here."

"So let's say that we go with forty minutes and hope that we actually have a bit longer," Maria stated. "Will you be ready by then Tony?"

Tony's fingers were playing with his facial hair and he had looked deep in thought for the entire explanation from Lorraine.

"Yes, that shouldn't be a problem, but I think that we need to reconsider the plan," Tony then stated.

"Why should we do that?" Nick asked.

"The negative fallback from the plan was taking out the hospitals and embassies. If we let Zola and Barnes leave there, probably in one of the Quinjets, we can take it out once it reaches a safe altitude without the EMP wave shutting down the city."

Steve listened to that and actually liked the sound of that…except for the fact that Bucky would probably be killed.

"And you are sure the EMP will take out the jet and your suit?" Natasha asked him.

"Yes. I've made sure to modify it with a frequency that I've known my suit to be effected by, and no you don't get to know what it is," Tony gave Maria a little smirk. "As long as all of Zola's consciousness is actually in the suit's internal hard drive and not still hiding somewhere on the ground, then shutting it down will trap his program inside the memory core. All we'll have to do is take it out of the suit without powering it on and he'll be trapped inside with no way out."

"What about Bucky?" Lorraine asked looking at Tony with hopeful eyes.

He could see Tony's stance begin to get edgy, a bit more foot tapping as if he was hesitant to answer, but he finally did.

"There's also a good chance that it will incapacitate his arm."

Not hearing the answer she really wanted, Lorraine then narrowed her eyes at Tony, "Little Grease Monkey, what about Bucky?"

Tony gave a heavy sigh.

"He'll crash with the jet."

Steve saw her shoulders drop and her body slump slightly over at hearing what she had suspected actually spoken aloud.

"There is a parachute on the jet's pilot seat," Maria then pointed out to the group.

" _If_ Bucky is even sitting there, or technically the Winter Solider since Lorraine said that Zola planned to activate him again. Zola controlled the last jet without anyone sitting in it but there is a chance that Bucky may fly them out of here this time. Or he may have Bucky stay in the back and keep control of the jet for himself," Steve had to point out. "We don't know where or how high the jet will be at time of the detonation so Bucky may only have a short time to get into the seat if he even thinks about it. Unless he can strap into the jet's pilot seat and eject, he'll be stuck inside anyways. With the jet powered down, the ramp wouldn't open for him."

Everyone was quiet for a few moments thinking about different aspects of what might happen.

"How are you planning on setting the thing off?" Lorraine asked Tony.

"I'll have to be following in my suit close enough so the jet is inside of the affected area. I will then shut my suit down a second before the EMP goes off. I'll fall for a few seconds before JARVIS remotely re-initializes it."

"Could you get inside of the jet to Bucky Bear? Just like you did for me?" Steve heard her ask with hope again.

There was no mistaking the conflict in Tony's body language. Steve knew that after what he had seen once Zola activated the Winter Solider that Tony had begun to understand that Bucky had not been in control of his own mind or body when he had been sent on that mission long ago. But for Tony, he probably still considered at least part of his parents' deaths Bucky's fault.

Tony had tried to give an apology earlier for his rash actions of attacking Bucky and trying to kill him, but now Lorraine was practically begging him to consciously save Bucky.

A major turn of events.

Nobody in the group spoke to try and persuade Tony but they were all extremely eager to hear his answer. They all knew that this was something that Tony needed to decide for himself. Of course, if he didn't save Bucky then there were going to be a lot of people mad at him. Steve and Lorraine would be the main ones that he would have to deal with the fallout from it.

Steve glanced over at Lorraine who was staring Tony down, not looking away from him as she waited for an answer. It was hard to believe that this was the same scared girl he had met only a few months ago.

But to her, Lorraine may still see Tony as that little boy she watched over. And seeing the small squirm that started to take over Tony's body as he tried to avoid the look she was giving him, Steve had a feeling that Tony was actually starting to feel just like that little boy again.

"Fine," Tony finally relented with a exasperating huff. Then prominently crossing his arms over his chest, he declared, "But I expect _three_ batches of your snickerdoodles in return."

Lorraine narrowed her eyes, but Steve could see a happy glint in them as she stated, "One."

"Two."

"Deal," she smiled at Tony before awkwardly grabbing him around the neck for a hug with her belly pressed against his.

There was a softness on Tony's face that Steve didn't think he had ever seen before.

Moments later, Tony drew back with a stunned expression, "Hey! He kicked me again!"

"Maybe this time it was for taking too long to decide to do the right thing," Lorraine told him with a sly grin.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : FYI - we are close to the end of the story now. I'll keep up the Monday & Friday postings but it will be completed as of next Friday. I know that this is much shorter and a bit different than my other two stories but I was working with only a very simple idea that had come to me.


	21. Chapter 21

_**Chapter Twenty-One**_

Bucky sat in the cell with mixed emotions. Zola had actually activated a security monitor to the end of the hall so that he could see Rainedrop leaving the Triskelion by the front doors. His throat had constricted as he watched her and Sam get into the car that Steve was driving, taking her even further away from him.

But he was immensely glad that she and Junior were out of here safe. He knew that Steve, Sam, and Nat would watch out for her.

The knot that was currently forming in his stomach was due to the other end of this plan. The part where his friends and wife had to hopefully blow the Quinjet that he and Zola would be leaving here in out of the sky. It seemed that Zola had not even considered it as a possibility, guessing his friends would not be willing to kill him. But he knew that they would do what was necessary. Hopefully Tony would ensure that they used enough power so that it would destroy the stolen suit in which Zola now resided. It would give him the closure he needed for his parents' murders and his family would be safe.

He knew that it was a better scenario than being Zola's prisoner again. Making that horrible offer had been the only way that he could entice Zola into doing what Bucky had wanted, getting Rainedrop out of here unharmed. Years ago Zola had been very arrogant about his work and abilities. Playing around the chance to finally be able to complete what he had started on was the perfect ploy. Pointing out how hard it would be to deal with a growing infant had actually come from his own worries over the past months as he had watched Junior growing inside of Rainedrop. In a way he was a bit baffled that Zola had agreed with his reasoning.

Now, Bucky could hear the sound of the suit unlocking the outer door and coming closer, " _Sergeant Barnes, it is time_."

Standing up from the cot, Bucky rolled his shoulders to ease some of the tension that he already felt just by knowing that the words were coming. The pain in his head always felt like a knife driving deeper and deeper with each word until everything just went away. There had been a few times when on missions that something would happen to snap him out of Hydra's control. Those were the worst since he was waking up in a strange place with no idea where he was or why he had been there.

But this would be the last time.

He would be falling asleep never to wake up again if Steve did his job correctly.

"I'm ready, Zola."

" _You know, I am a bit surprised that you made this offer so freely_ ," Iron Zola was standing outside looking through the window at him.

"Why? Are you surprised that I actually fell in love with Raine and would do anything to keep her safe _without_ you having to condition my mind to do so?"

He worded it that way to hopefully get confirmation on what they had suspected and learned at the wedding.

" _In a way, yes. There were many times that I watched the two of you when she was a little girl. I always waited for you to try and use or hurt her to get yourself free from the cell but you never did_."

Well that finally put that issue to rest. Neither one of them had been deceived to loving each other.

Bucky then gave an irritated huff at the other part of Zola's comment.

"That's what an evil monster like _you_ would do to a five year old."

" _Still, that was why the first implanted suggestion into your mind was to never be able to hurt her. I made sure to bring her around after you were unfrozen so that you could see her aging. That way your mind would recognize her even if one day_ _ **you**_ _could not_."

"If you loved her enough to do that, then why the hell would you kidnap her and plan on using her child for your own horrible purposes?"

 _"Do not mistake my intentions back then for love, Sergeant. Bienchen came into my world during a time when I needed to solidify my standing with the S.S.R. Taking care of my orphaned niece displayed a caring façade for them, making them think that I was a changed man. I couldn't have my favorite experiment disrupting that by injuring or killing her."_

"You were only using her the _entire time_?" he asked hating that idea behind what Zola was saying. "All those times that she was telling me about how wonderful her uncle treated her…it was all a lie?"

 _"I couldn't very well have Bienchen telling everyone that I was bad uncle who mistreated her. Showering her with a few toys, books, and gifts only helped to create the bond that she had with me when she was younger, to help keep the secret that I worked for Hydra. Children love secrets and she did very well with keeping mine, even when we lived right under Carter's and Stark's noses. She never once betrayed me. But it was after one early incident that I knew that one day that bond would change. That it would be transferred to you."_

"What do you mean?"

 _"It was the very first time that you were frozen. I brought her down to see you after explaining in child-like terms what was being done to you. When I told her that you were to work for Hydra, Bienchen wanted to know if_ _ **she**_ _could also work for Hydra so that the two of you were never separated."_

"But…she was only five."

 _"Even back then you were special to Bienchen…making your friendship with her the perfect reward for her devotion to myself and Hydra. And at such a young age she was so easily indoctrinated too. I used her as my first subject to test loyalty and training techniques numerous times. Finding how easily swayed a child could be, I instructed other members of Hydra on how to indoctrinate their own children. We just had to make sure that they were told the right way to comprehend an action so that they felt it was the proper line of thinking. Like with what I told her about you."_

"About how you were turning me into a _killer_?" Bucky was at a new level of anger now.

 _"Of course. I knew that there was no way to hide_ _what the Winter Solider program was to be used for_ _from Bienchen if she remained with me and eventually you. So, I taught her that there was evil out in the world and that sometimes it was so bad that it had to be permanently removed. Enter Hydra's greatest weapons against evil...the Winter Soldier. She would never know the details of your missions but she believed them to be just, and from Hydra's standpoint they were. If everything had gone according to plan with Project Insight, Hydra would now be in charge but it would be the Winter Soldier that was with her, not you."_

Bucky gritted his teeth hating to hear how Zola had been tricking Rainedrop since even before they first met. Zola had then taught her that killing people was not only normal but acceptable. That was exactly what she had told him that first night they had met again after so long. Could he have somehow prevented her from being tricked into believing such lies if he had known Zola's plan? The least he could have done was not try and nurture their friendship. But that made him wonder...

"What was the point of putting us together in the first place? Of letting our friendship continue? You could have easily told her that it was not possible and she was so young it would have been easy for her to forget about me."

 _"For me, it was threefold. First, you would have been programmed to allow her to take care of you just as she has been trained to do. As you helped to train Hydra's knew elite soldiers, she would have helped you, giving the Winter Soldier the home life that Sergeant Barnes wanted. Our research showed that if you were granted such simple wants from your previous life, then your mind would not try so hard to overcome the programming. Second, there was the benefit of Bienchen being there to watch over you to see if your memories **did** begin to return. If your personality changed, she would have informed your handler and been told it was due to stress from the missions. You would have then been put back into the Chair for additional wiping. She was to be your personal spy for us without even realizing it. Third, there would have been the benefit of the offspring produced from your coupling. As I told Bienchen, with your genetics as well as part of my own, there is the chance that your child will be remarkable."_

Bucky didn't think that he could stand to hear anymore of Zola's twisted plans for Rainedrop and him. He didn't even want to think about what the Winter Solider part of him might have done to her. And with her conditioning and love for him, she would have probably just let anything happen. At least over the past few months they had a chance to honestly come to love each other.

"Then why have Tony attack me and Steve? There was a chance that he would kill me, then where would you be."

 _"Leaving here with Bienchen was much easier than the alternative of getting to you at the time. If I had tried to activate you earlier, the percentage of my failure was too great a risk. As for Tony Stark's part in this, if he had been able to injure or kill Captain Rogers, that would only have been a benefit._ _I did not foresee the fight progressing as it did so that Stark could be distracted by her, disrupting my plan in an unforeseen way._ _My original body could not have withstood an attack from either you or Rogers, just as it didn't from Stark. But now, with this superior made body and the Winter Soldier by my side, I have a greater chance of rebuilding Hydra even better than what it was."_

"Zola, why don't you just shut the hell up now and get this over with."

 _"So eager to disappear, Sergeant Barnes?"_

"Anything would be better than thinking about the sick plans you have."

He hated how the suit stared blankly at him for a few moments before Zola spoke.

 _"But my plans include taking full advantage of you as well. As you said, once she has given birth and my new base of operations is fully secure and active, I will be sending the Winter Solider to retrieve not only the child, but also Bienchen. And I will not be waiting years as I stated to her, but mere months. I will have her be brought along to keep the happy family together._ _Besides, I believe her love for you will allow the procreation of more offspring._ _And_ _even if she does not,_ _the Winter Soldier will not disobey my orders. Consider her my gift to you as long as you are able to perform all my tasks satisfactorily."_

"Don't you dare even think about doing that!" Bucky slammed the cuffs against the metal cell door. This plan of destroying Zola had better work. "You leave her out of this!"

 _"But Bienchen is my only living relative. I eventually grew used to having her around. It would be nice to have that again. She is such a sweet girl. Even knowing that you are under my control, I am most curious if her love for you is so strong that she might even volunteer to come with you willingly. And I would suggest that you do not aggravate me otherwise I will order you to be cruel to her."_

Bucky hit at the door again angry at the twisted plan. How he really hoped that Steve did his job in a short while and that they did not escape. He needed to keep up the scenario of them actually escaping.

"Thanks to your own programming, I can't hurt her."

 _"Physically hurting her as opposed to mentally hurting her are two different things. Screaming at her all the time, calling her hateful names…disrespect me and you will be forced to break her heart.  
_

Bucky hadn't thought about him being able to order him to be mean like that but hopefully Zola was just spouting dreams that would never come true. As long as Steve manages to blow up that jet with him and Zola in it.

"You are a in a class of special evil all on its own."

 _"Why, thank you, Sergeant. Now, I have a few things that will be coming with us that need to be loaded while our ride is warming up… shelaniye, rzhavyy, semnadtsat'…"_

* * *

Raine sat in the small tent that Tony was using as cover while he finished working on the small glowing device he called an arc reactor. All she really understood about it was that for a while something similar had helped to keep Tony alive and that it was a new power source.

Her mind kept wandering back to what her uncle had told her, about how they were of the same genetic makeup but that he had intentionally kept her from being taught more advanced subjects. Knowing what Uncle Arnim had been able to accomplish years ago, as well as more recently, Raine began to wonder if it was a good thing that he hadn't educated her. With all of his intelligence, her uncle was nothing but pure evil. Would she have turned out the same?

And he had managed to even make her believe in the lies of Hydra until she had been shown the truth from her new friends at Shield. If someone had told her on day she woke up that she would be eagerly waiting for her uncle to be taken down to prevent Hydra from reforming, she would have called them insane. But that was exactly what was happening right now.

"How are the two of you holding up?" Steve asked taking a seat next to her while glancing at her belly.

"I thought that my stomach being twisted in knots after certain meals recently was bad, but nothing could top what I'm feeling right now," she told him as she felt another kick. For the past ten minutes, someone had decided that facing the opposite direction was a good idea and had been steadily moving.

Taking Steve's hand into her, Raine moved it over to lay on the spot that Junior seemed to most favor with violence. The ease of Steve's smile at the feeling of his hand being impacted helped to calm her down.

"You're really trying to cut a rug in there, aren't you little Stevie?" he asked smiling right at her moving belly.

Raine felt the tears trying to start at hearing Steve mention the baby's name thinking about how she and Bucky Bear had talked about Junior's name. Hearing the two of them bicker back and forth for the past few months about Junior's name had brought her much amusement. It was just another way that she saw Bucky Bear acting just like she had known him years ago…joking even considering what he had been going through.

And he had just told her to end all of that.

Raine managed to take a few deep breaths and calm down before she lost it again thinking about what was...no, she couldn't handle this. Her face became flushed while barely managing to keep the tears in check. She was going to mark all of this crying up as pregnancy hormones.

"You know that Bucky thinks that when that jet leaves here, that we are going to shoot it out of the sky, right?"

"Well, he's an idiot for thinking that I wouldn't at least try to get him out of there unharmed first. I only just got my best friend back, and I'm not about to try and kill him at the first sign of trouble."

Giving a bit of a laugh, she told him, "You know, he's going to be mad at you if you somehow get him back and my uncle gets away? He'd probably never allow the baby to be named after you."

He smiled at her tease and removed his hand from her belly, saying, "I'll take having that baby-name-hogging jerk mad at me over dead any day, Lorraine."

She couldn't help but give a small laugh knowing they both felt exactly the same way.

Tony then leaned back on the stool he was sitting on, tossing the tool in his hand onto the table. Turning with a smile, he glanced at the two of them sitting there together.

"I'm a genius," he informed them with his hands in the air.

"If you have to say it, it's not true," Raine then told him, earning her a scowl. "And I don't remember teaching you to be conceited."

"Nope," Tony said standing up and coming over to them. "I learned that one all on my own."

"Maybe I _do_ need to put you into the corner," she told him as he knelt in front of her.

"But then I won't be able to save that assassinating husband of yours," he told her with a smug look but there was no real animosity in his tone.

"Grease Monkey, that's _not_ a very nice think to say," she informed him.

"Steve, has _anyone_ ever accused _me_ of being nice?" Tony asked looking over at him.

Steve looked thoughtful for a moment before answering, "You _did_ buy us shawarma after the fight in New York. That was nice."

"Being nice is one thing. Being accused of being nice is quite another," he told them as he glanced at her belly again. Junior was calming down but the two of them were able to see movement every so often.

"Are you actually finished?" she asked him.

"Of course. Now it is all a matter of waiting. As long as Zola leaves by the jet, as we suspect he will, I'll follow close enough behind them after we know in which direction they are going. Once they are over a safe area for the jet to crash in, I'll set the reactor off."

Leaning forward a bit, she reached out and took Tony's hand into hers. She saw him flinch a little, as if unused to simple physical contact.

"I know that right now you hate him so much, Grease Monkey. But I hope that you will not deny my son of his father the way that Hydra denied you of your parents. Give us the time to figure this out and hopefully come to a peaceful resolution. Please get him out of there safely for me," she requested of him.

Waiting for an answer, Raine watched Tony's face softened and she could easily see that little boy she had taught to tie his shoes.

"For you, I will," he finally told her.

That was probably the most honest statement she had heard him give all day.

At that moment, Natasha burst through the canvas door.

"We have movement," she informed them.

The entire group moved out of the tent and over to where security monitors were set up watching all side of the Triskelion. Using a drone's camera through the hole in the hanger door, they watched as the Iron Man suit and Bucky moved around the hanger for a few moments. Bucky was no longer cuffed and as the tech zoomed in for a closer shot, they saw that he was now armed.

"It looks like the Winter Solider is back," Sam commented from over her shoulder. "Zola wouldn't have given him weapons otherwise."

"They seem to be loading boxes into one of the larger jets," Nat stated trying to zoom in to see what they were moving but without luck.

"Zola may have decided to take along a couple of the items that we confiscated from his underground workshop," Steve said as they watched the two worked. Turning to Maria, he asked, "Was there anything from there that you found that might pose a threat to our plan?"

"No, I don't believe so," Maria said. "Most of it was outdated tech that we have since surpassed."

"How about any other surprises, like the Midnight Oil which you had stashed away like squirrels?" Tony asked.

Nick's voice carried in from somewhere further away, "That would be on a need to know basis, and you frankly don't need to know."

That man could hear a flea sneeze.

"And some people wonder _why_ my trust issues stick around," Tony smiled over at her. But he probably saw the worry on her face at hearing the idea of possibly weapons or chemicals being on the jet when it went down. "Rainebow, I'll get him for you if for no other reason than to prove just how good I really am."

"If you keep boasting that like, you better be," she told him.


	22. Chapter 22

_**Chapter Twenty-Two**_

Tony walked over to the workbench in his other set of prototype armor that he had called in from Stark Tower. Picking up the modified arc reactor, he slipped it into a small holding pocket on the side of his chest armor.

"Are you going to be able to deal with Bucky as the Winter Soldier _without_ killing him?" he heard Nat ask from behind him.

"I'm hoping that I won't have to deal with him at all and that I can just get him out of there," he told Nat turning to face her. "Was there anything in that book Fury has that can help to get him back to normal?"

"Not really. The shutdown word was a one-time only, and he used it to save you from becoming a screwdriver shish kabob," she told him with a smirk.

"Too bad. That would be very useful," he told her.

"Well, there is my favorite fallback," she told him with one of her sly smiles.

"And what would that be?" he asked curious.

"Cognitive recalibration."

"Which is?"

"Hit Bucky really hard on the head."

"I should have guessed that. Hitting is your answer to everything," he told her as Nat started to walk away.

"Look who's talking," she said heading out of the tent.

Calling loudly out to her, "For your information, my fallback is blowing stuff up!"

Following right behind her, he flipped his visor down.

"JARVIS, is everything on the suit working right?

 _"It seems to be, sir. The backdoor program will not be able to get into the modified system of this suit. I also have the sensors locked in on the jet's active engines so that if they go stealth, I'll still be able to track them. I'll let you know the moment the signature changes to indicate they are leaving."_

"Good. And when I say everything that also means that _my_ stealth feature is online? I would hate getting shot out of the air. That would really ruin my day."

" _I'm sure that it would_ ," JARVIS smarted back to him. " _Yes. The new stealth feature seems to working fine. You did not want to tell Fury about it_?"

"He has his secrets, I have mine."

Looking over at where Rainebow was watching the monitor with Barnes working on it, Tony found himself again wondering how strange it was to see her after so many decades just as he always remembered her. As he recalled first seeing her and thinking that she might have been an old one night stand, a yucky shiver went over his body.

He did think about those times working in the fabrication shop on one of his projects and how she would help him. He recalled how his mother and Rainebow would sometimes cook desserts together on rainy days. Then there were the times she reprimanded him after getting into a fight while cleaning the dirt and blood off of his face.

And it had been her uncle that had created the assassin that would one day kill his parents. What a twisted world this was.

Here he was about to take off not only after a bad AI that had stolen his precious suit, he was about to rescue a killer. Talking with Steve, Nat, Nick, and Maria, they all were able to confirm bits and pieces of Barnes' capture and brainwashing, just as Rainebow had explained to him. Then there had been what he had seen first hand. He knew how Steve could fight, and both him and Barnes had been majorly holding back during theirs in the conference room. Rainebow had been right, they were only trying to defend themselves while he had been out to kill.

His mom always used to tell him that he leapt before he looked just like his father and it seemed that years later he still was. Would she blame Barnes for what he had been forced to do? Dropping his head Tony knew that she wouldn't. He couldn't even remember her talking bad about anyone. Even Zola...she had just called him eccentric. If only she'd known...

So hoping that it would be what his mom would want him to do, and for his first real friend, he would suck up his anger and hopefully get Barnes away from Zola.

After a few short minutes, JARVIS informed him, _"Sir, the jet is preparing to take off."_

"Where is Barnes on the jet?" he asked looking over at the hanger door.

 _"He appears to be sitting in the pilot's seat but I can tell that the Zola AI is in actual control."_

"That's the best news I've heard all day."

* * *

Steve was glaring at the hanger door from where he could hear the engines revving up to take off. Lorraine was only a few steps away looking more than worried at what was about to happen. Going over to her, he put his arm around her shoulder which made her lean into him for comfort. It was so different than their first encounter when she screamed at just seeing him.

"He's going to be fine," he softly told her.

"I hope you're right, Steve," she said placing her hand over her belly. "I can't do this alone."

Taking her hand into his, he told her, "No matter what happens, you won't be alone anymore."

There was a sudden explosion from across the way at the hanger door, startling everyone around them. As Lorraine gasped and her other hand drew up to her mouth, he realized that she thought an attack had started.

"My door!" he heard Maria yell from across the way before he got Lorraine's attention.

"He's fine. The hanger door was damaged and couldn't be opened. The jet they are on couldn't fit through the hole that Nick made. They were only widening it to fly through."

He saw her visible relax at hearing that. Moments later the jet emerged from the hanger, hovering for only a few seconds. Quickly looking at the monitor, Steve could see that Bucky was sitting in the pilot's seat. The plan seemed to be going their way. Hopefully it stayed that way.

As the jet then turned and began to climb, he saw Tony walking a few feet away from everyone ready to take off himself. Giving them a short lead, they all watched as Tony shot up into the air.

* * *

" _Sir, they are heading almost due north. At their current rate of climb, they will pass the two mile threshold for the arc's modified EMP wave in one-point-seven minutes_."

"When will they reach the first available area that I can set the reactor off over?"

 _"In just under four miles from our current location. There is roughly a two miles stretch of park area. Past that will be subdivisions until passing over more populated towns and cities for the next one hundred and twenty-eight miles."_

"I really don't feel like following them all the way to Pennsylvania today. Calculate when the arc needs to go off over that park area and give me a heads-up countdown. Also, calculate the rate of decent time for that jet once it's dead in the air. I want to be as close as possible to them so that I have plenty of time to be the good guy."

 _"Reading for all the necessary events are now displayed."_

Tony looked over the numbers on his heads-up display and boosted his speed to get almost right up on the jet. He knew that it should not be a problem for him to get into the jet. And if it came down to the worst case scenario, he knew that his suit could possibly withstand the impact. How much damage his body would take was another story. And there would be almost no hope for Barnes if he didn't hit the eject.

"JARVIS, the jet losing power will not affect the seat ejection, will it?"

" _No, sir. It uses a self-sustaining explosive to activate the canopy jettison system and ejection seat. But it must be manually done. There is no fail-safe in event of the pilot being unconscious_."

Which meant that if the Winter Solider didn't pull the handle then he would have to. Getting as close to the jet as he felt comfortable, Tony watched the countdown for setting off the device getting very close.

"JARVIS, I'm really counting on you to shut down and reboot as quickly as possible. Otherwise I'm going to make a handsome looking crater."

 _"Don't worry. You are in good hands."_

"You don't have any hands."

 _"Don't take everything so literal, sir."_

Tony smirked as he took the device out of the storage pocket and gripped it in his hand. Watching the countdown get into the final few seconds, everything in front of him powered down. For a few seconds, he felt his suit still ascending due to the remaining thruster power, but moments later he had the sensation of weightlessness. Tony heard the pulse wave go off as a blinding light shown for a second through his visor's eye slits. Then his stomach began to drop as momentum changed to fall back to earth. He waiting a few seconds but nothing happened.

"JARVIS, now would be a good time to get back online!"

Another few seconds passed, and then his suit activated. Looking at the readouts, he had fallen just over four hundred feet and the jet was still adding to that number. Activating his boosters, he headed right for the jet.

 _"Your welcome."_

"Show off," he said seeing the internal scans of the jet still showing Barnes in the pilot's seat. His other suit was bouncing around the cabin as dead weight.

Taking aim with his blaster, he formed a hole in the top deciding to not waste time in making an entrance for him to get in with. Flying into the jet, he saw Barnes strapped into the seat struggling with only one hand at the controls trying to get the jet operating again.

"Time to leave," he announced getting the assassin to turn towards him.

A half-second later Tony found a gun pointed at him, but there was no mistaking the confused look on Barnes' face. Seeing him glancing over at the bouncing powered down suit Tony understood what was going on. He was used to taking orders from the other suit, not a real person, and because the suits looked almost identical Barnes didn't know how to respond.

"JARVIS, reconfigure my voice to sound like Zola's."

" _Done_."

"Soldier, I am order you to pull the seat's ejection lever," he heard his words in the whiney accented voice of Zola.

Barnes didn't lower the gun with the command. Maybe he understood the ruse.

"Look we don't have time for this," Zola's voice said seeing that they less than twenty seconds before impact. "Cut the voice, JARVIS."

Magnetically walking right for him, each step was accompanied by the firing of the gun but compared to what the bullets were up against, they probably didn't even scratch the paint. Reaching Barnes as the gun emptied, he decided to take Nat's advice.

"Consider this my one good payback shot!" Tony informed him as he drew his fist back and threw a lead hook punch onto Barnes' head. He fell away from the strike unconscious from it. The gun dropped from his hand to the floor.

Reaching down, Tony grabbed a hold of the release lever and gave it a firm yank.

From above him there was the sound of the canopy being jettisoned only a second before the seat holding Barnes followed close by. When the chair was clear of the jet, Tony boosted himself through the opening.

The seat was starting its descent with the parachute deploying and catching on the air to spread open. Barnes' arms and head were hanging limply and he guessed that he would be out for a short time. Tony looked down just in time to see the jet crash into a clump of trees and catch fire. A few seconds later and they both would have been toast.

"JARVIS, keep monitoring that suit to see if it tries to come back online, and if it even so much as hiccups, let me know."

" _Yes, sir. Also, there are three Shield jets approaching our coordinates at a high rate of speed_."

Looking at the ground for a good spot nearby the crash site, he found a large expanse of open area in the form of a golf course. Flying over to the slowly descending ejection seat, he grabbed a backside metal support in his hand and yanked away the parachute with the other. Holding onto the seat with the sleeping assassin, he flew the two of them over to land on one of the golf greens so that Shield had enough room to also land their jets.

Placing the seat onto the ground, he got his first good look at Barnes since the punch. There was a large lump already forming on his temple and he could see the injuries that Steve had inflicted trying to stop Barnes from killing the two of them.

Flipping his visor open, Tony watched the jets land as the large group began to disembark.

* * *

Steve was the first one down the ramp heading towards Tony and Bucky while Sam helped Lorraine. He had tried to get her to stay at the temporary base until they knew what had happened with Bucky but she had outright refused and gotten on board the jet as he pointed out again that it may not be safe.

Tony was standing with his visor up only a few feet away from where he could see an unconscious Bucky strapped into the pilot's seat. There was a large knot on his forehead, which Steve guessed was probably the reason for his nap.

"How did it go?" he asked Tony looking Bucky over for any other injuries.

Spotting a couple of guns and knives strapped around his waist, he began to remove them before he woke since Steve was not sure who Bucky would be when he did. He noticed that one of the gun holsters was missing its weapon.

"I might have to have the paint touched up since he emptied a gun onto me which was _very rude_ considering I was trying to save his life," Tony informed him. "He also refused to eject so I had to knock him out and do it myself."

"And I'm sure you took no pleasure in that," Nat stated with a smirk.

Tony then held up his hand using his fingers to indicate a space about an inch between his fingers with a snarky smile on his face.

"Bucky!" he heard Lorraine call out but he had told Sam to hold her back until they knew _who_ they were dealing with.

"He's fine, just unconscious," he told her and saw her body ease a bit. "Stay back until he wakes up. He may still be under Zola's influence when he does."

"Agents and techs are heading to the crash site to recover your other suit," Nat informed Tony. "Any problem with it earlier?"

"No, he was bouncing around like a rubber ball. I don't think that Zola even knew what hit him," Tony stated as Steve heard a groaning sound emanating from Bucky.

"He's waking up. Everyone stay back," he told them waving with his arms to shoo them away.

Bucky began to lift his head up from how it was drooped down and reached up to touch the spot on his head where Tony had hit him. When he opened his eyes, he spotted the small group standing at a distance and all clearly focused on him.

"Bucky? Is that you?" Steve calmly asked looking for any sign of his friend.

"What?" he asked looking at everyone before turning his eyes back to Steve.

"It's me, Steve," he told him as Bucky rolled his shoulders a bit.

"Steve?" he asked in a very questioning voice.

He was worried that maybe the hit to his head or the code words had effected his mind too much.

"Yeah, Steve."

"Steve…that's a horrible name to give to a child. You look more like a Eugene."

There were numerous giggles from probably everyone nearby at hearing the familiar tease from Bucky they had become used to over the past few months. A second later, Lorraine passed him moving as fast as she could so that she ended up in Bucky's lap with his arms wrapped around her.

"Hey, Rainedrop," he sighed her name while burying his face into the crook of her neck with a smile. He then looked up at Steve and began to shake his head as if disappointed in him. "You were supposed to destroy the jet to make sure that Zola didn't escape."

"He _didn't_ escape _and_ you're still here in one piece so stop _whining_ ," he grinned at him.

"Where's Zola?" Bucky asked looking around as Lorraine began to stand back up so that Bucky could unstrap himself from the seat. He stretched as if checking over his body to make sure everything was working. They all noticed that Bucky had to rotate his left arm with a calibration sound coming from it before he was able to move it normally. The pulse had indeed messed with it as Tony predicted.

"Still inside of my other suit, but he's powered down," Tony informed him. "JARVIS is monitoring it for any sign that he's trying to do something."

Looking around the area, Bucky then asked, "Where are we? And how did I get here?"

"On a golf course," Steve told him as he spotted the smoke from the crash site. Pointing towards the area, "That's what remains of the jet that you were on."

"And if I hadn't gone inside of it to retrieve your assassinating ass, that's where you would be instead of nice and safe over here," Tony had to bluntly point out.

"Tony, that's not nice," Lorraine informed him with a finger waving in his face.

"Rainedrop, he's right," Bucky reached up to push her arm back to her side. Looking at Tony, he told him, "Thanks. I owe you in a way that I'll never be able to pay back. Considering my history, you did not have to do that for me Tony."

There was a slight smile on Tony's face at hearing that admission from Bucky.

"I know," he sheepishly told him. "But Rainebow would have put into timeout for the next year if I hadn't."

"What's the last thing you remember?" Sam asked him as they moved towards the burning jet to check on the suit Zola was in.

"I was still in a cell with those cuffs on. The shock on them was enough to disable my arm so I couldn't get them off," he said as they walked.

"You don't remember loading a bunch of boxes in that jet?" Tony asked.

"No. What boxes?"

"Zola seemed to be taking a couple of things with him as he left. Depending on how bad the crash site is we might not know what's missing from the Triskelion for a while," Natasha told him.

Reaching as close to the site as they could due to the heat from the fire, they headed over to where Nick and Maria were supervising the agents running around with strange looking large fire extinguishers.

"How's everything going?" Steve asked the two of them.

"We're not able to get inside to retrieve the suit yet," Maria told them. "Once they can get the fire under control…"

"No need," Tony informed her as he closed his visor and began to walk right towards the burning jet.

"Tony!" Lorraine yelled out at him but he just kept on walking.

Watching as he moved large chucks of debris out of his way, Tony disappeared behind a large upright piece of wall for about a minute. They watched as he returned dragging the other powered down suit by the leg behind him. Eventually he made it back over to them, letting the heavy leg thump to the ground.

Lorraine walked to stand directly before Tony before she started in on him.

"You do _not_ just go _walking_ into a _burning_ crashed plane!"

Flipping the visor up, "I'm wearing my suit," Tony pointed out.

"Oh? And what about if something in one of those boxes had _exploded_ or release some kind of _chemical_? You need to think before doing something foolish like that again, Grease Monkey!"

Steve found it funny that Lorraine was treating Tony just like the little boy she had known.

"Everything is fine," he told her before looking at Bucky. Pointing his finger at her, he asked, "Is she this overprotective at home?"

"Nope," Bucky said. "You're the only one to bring this side of her out."

"I think she's worse than Pepper. Lucky me," Tony sarcastically stated as he began to mess with a panel on the powered down suit. They all watched for a few moments before he reached inside of a compartment and pulled out a pair of small boxes. Holding them aloft with a typical Tony display, "Alright, one Hydra AI all contained."

"You sure about that?" Fury asked him as Maria reached over to take possession of the items.

"I feel that I should be insulted that you doubt my abilities," Tony put his now free hand to his chest in mocked shock.

Another agent appeared with a lock-box for her to put them inside. He looked extremely worried for some reason and then Steve heard Bucky growl at the man. Without knowing why, Tony moved so that he was between Lorraine and the agent, automatically trying to protect her. That was when he realized it was the same agent from months ago that Maria had set Lorraine up on the date with. The second the items were inside, he slammed the lid closed and scurried away as if his life depended on it.

"Bucky Bear," Lorraine said smacking a hand on his chest, "that's not nice!"

"He was too close to you," he informed her before quieting her next comment with a kiss.

"Who was that?" Tony asked now curious about the exchange.

"We'll explain over dinner," Sam told him as they began to move away from the partially burning ship as the agents continued to work at putting out the fire. "Let's get the hell out of here."

Steve felt Bucky's right arm pat him on the shoulder as they group began to move towards where the jets had landed. Looking over, he could see the gratefulness pouring out from him at managing to save him this time. Steve couldn't resist teasing him with this.

"Think I earned the right to have James Junior named after me?"

Bucky looked over at Lorraine for a moment before turning back to say, "Not really. It was actually Tony that pulled me from the plane so if anyone gets the baby named after him, it should be Tony."

"Are you _kidding_ me?" Steve practically bellowed.

"I wholeheartedly agree with that statement," Tony had to chime in as Lorraine just shook her head and the rest of the group laughed at Steve's dejected look.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : The last chapter is just an epilogue so I'll post it on Wednesday. I hope that you've enjoyed this smaller, simpler story of mine. For those of you curious, I'm still working on my Falcon/OC story that I mentioned with my other works. It's much longer and a bit (a lot) darker like my story 1983: Star. Since I write a story completely then start posting, I know it will be a few more months before it appears. If you're curious, follow me as a writer so that you get notified.

And for those of you who have just discovered me, please check out my other two stories. Both are completed and should keep you occupied for a while.

Thanks to everyone who gave reviews! I hope to hear from all of you again in the future!


	23. Chapter 23

_**Chapter Twenty-Three: Epilogue**_

 _ **The Triskelion  
Five Years Later**_

"Uncle Steve!" echoed throughout the large chamber before being followed by the pounding of rapid footsteps.

Raine watched as Steven Anthony Barnes ran across the enclosed courtyard of the Triskelion into the open arms of his crouching, waiting Uncle Steve. Without any hesitation, Uncle Steve picked him up and tossed little Stevie into the air a couple of feet higher than was normal, making her own stomach drop with the toss. The loud, happy squeal echoed throughout the area catching the attention of every Shield agent nearby.

Watching as he fell back towards the waiting arms, she had a slight panic at just thinking about Steve missing him. But he never had and Raine was sure that he never would.

Shaking her head, she knew that no matter how many times she reprimanded Steve for doing that move that as long as little Stevie liked it, it was worth the tongue lashing.

"Again!" Steven requested as she reached them.

"Give me a minute to talk with your mom and then we'll heading to the playroom," Steve told him.

"Yea!" he happily chimed.

"What's that?" Steve asked seeing the plastic container in her left hand her as he lifted Stevie to sit on his shoulders. Her right arm was occupied with the squirming two year old that was determined to get down so that she could also be tossed in the air just like her big brother. But Raine had told Steve that until Lily was at least three, no airplane tosses for her.

"Un'cal," Lily was starting to whine.

"Snickerdoodles for Tony. And he made me tell him exactly how many are in there so he'll know if you or Bucky snatch some on the flight this afternoon," she told him as Lily squirmed and reached out for Steve to take her. "So consider that your only warning otherwise you'll have to listen to his whining."

"I don't get any?" he then asked putting on the pouting face she had been waiting on. Handing over the container to him, she then reached in the kid's bag and pulled out a smaller one. Steve passed Tony's box up to Stevie to hold and took his own treats with a smile.

"Those are for only you," she pointed out. "Bucky ate all of his this morning before leaving the house."

"Un'cal, un'cal," Lily's small hands were flapping eagerly to emphasize her determination to get at him.

With a large smile, Steve took her into his arm. A second later, she heard a giggle from a passing female Shield agent at seeing Steve covered in kids. She then passed over the kid's bag with their snacks and spare clothes, which Steve hung over his shoulder displaying a cartoon picture of Iron Man flying through the sky. Tony had sent it home with Bucky months ago and the kids loved it, much to his and Steve chagrin.

"How is everything?" he asked looking down at her small protruding belly.

"Good. I have an appointment in just over an hour from now so you and Bucky are on babysitting duty until then."

Steve gave her that same look that he did every time she came to the Triskelion early so that she could run her special errand.

"Lorraine, you don't have to keep doing this," he told her with a bit of sadness in his voice.

"I know, but I want to. Now run along before someone tries to throw a very unladylike tantrum," she gave Lily's nose a bop to indicate her. She somehow took after Tony and had a short temper when she didn't get her way.

Steve simply nodded his head in fake understanding of her errand as he headed off towards the training room he liked to take the kids to for them to play in. To them it was a grownup playroom, and they both loved to play on the training equipment and mimic the fighting moves that their daddy and uncle were teaching them. They were already much stronger and faster than any other children their age and with the extra energy they always had, putting them through training routines helped to wear them out.

Heading over to the secured doors, Raine entered in her personal code for them to open before starting her journey through the hallways. Eventually, she found herself floors underneath of the Triskelion still heading down the empty concrete staircase. Coming to a stop at the door, she punched in the code to the last small hallway.

Inside, leaning against the wall was her Bucky Bear.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him closing the door behind her.

"Hopefully managing to finally talk you into stopping this," he told her taking her into his arms as she tried to pass him. "You don't have to keep doing this."

"That's exactly what Steve just told me. How about next time the two of you work out different sentences beforehand, that way it's less obvious."

"How about you come with me upstairs and watch some of the new moves me and the Punk planned on showing the kids instead of…?" his voice waved off instead of finishing as he turned to look at the last door.

"I'm going inside, but I'll be up before my appointment to see."

"Be careful," he told her before giving her a long kiss.

"Always," she smiled at him.

Raine waited until he had shut the stairwell door behind him before going inside of the apartment. It looked almost the same as when she had woken up all those years ago, except that it was much cleaner now. During each of her initial visits, she would clean just a bit more so that now the small apartment would be usable if anyone else were to come here.

The only change from that first day was a small desktop computer on the kitchen table that Tony had put together specially for her after talking with Nick and Maria to get permission.

Walking over to it, she pressed the button to power the device up. It had a very large hard drive, but there was no modem or any type of wireless device hooked into it but there was a small basic camera. There was not any type of external spot to hook in a thumb-drive to transfer files at. Even the screen was what Tony had called old-school.

After a few moments, the familiar green face appeared.

"Good afternoon, Uncle Arnim."

 _"Good afternoon, Bienchen. How are the children doing?"_

"They're doing great. Uncle Steve is upstairs now playing with them."

A few seconds passed before he asked, " _Are you ever going to let me see them_?"

"No, uncle. I've told you this. They will _never_ know about you. You are lucky that I still come down here to see you. If it wasn't for Nick granting me this favor, you'd never have been reactivated."

 _"I know, Bienchen. I still do not understand why you do not hate me, even after all I have done to you."_

"No matter what, you still raised me. You had your own reasons for doing so, but I still remember how much having you around meant to me. Besides, you are my only other living relative."

 _"Then I will take these brief moments."_

For the next half hour, Raine told him about Lily teething and crying at night, that they found out she was having another boy, and how Stevie was excelling in school. Once a month, he would spend a weekend with Tony working on projects together. It had not taken long for them all to realize that he had indeed inherited a brilliance from her side of the family. But now they were making sure that it was focused in a good direction.

Glancing at her watch, Raine saw it was time for her to go if she wanted to head to the gym before her appointment time.

"I need to head on now, uncle."

 _"I know. You will come back again, yes, Bienchen?"_

"Yes."

Reaching for the button to turn the computer off, his voice sounded a final time, " _Will I ever leave this place again_?"

Raine looked down at the screen, a bit disappointed in him for even asking that question.

"No, Uncle Arnim. You won't. Gute nacht."

 _"Gute nacht, Bienchen."_

Watching the screen power down and hearing the fan on the tower dying down, Raine stood up and turned the lights off.

Heading up the stairs, she began to smile at wondering what crazy stunts Bucky Bear and little Stevie were teaching her kids today.


End file.
